Birth, and Rebirth 01: Will I?
by cpneb
Summary: You're Du-Duh?" Will Du, unplugged. Why is Will Du...well, Will Du? The tale of a misunderstood Global Justice Supervising Agent. Chapter 9: Enjoy fruits of labor, is up. The tale ends, but not without some drama. Will, apologize to Kim? Oh, snap.
1. Chapter 1: Find seed

**Birth, and Rebirth 01**_**: Will I?**_

Disclaimer/Author's Notes: Kim Possible and all the characters of the show are owned by the Disney Company. The original lyrics to the songs referenced in this story and the music are the property of the respective authors, artists and labels. All other characters can be blamed on the author (he, however, is not responsible for all of their actions at all times, being barely responsible for himself most of the time).

This is a strictly not-for-profit, just-for-fun work.

Enjoy! Please read and review.

**A/N Forward: **

This is the tale of two individuals: how their lives unwind as they wind together, and how they intertwine with the lives of others.

A Will Du tale...

-----

Chapter 1: **Find seed**

-----

"Dr. Possible?"

Anne looked up as Global Justice Supervising Agent Will Du stood at her door, holding a dozen long-stemmed white roses in a box.

"Will, they're beautiful!" Anne exclaimed, still seated behind her desk.

"Thank you, Dr. Possible: they're for an equally beautiful and brilliant woman," Will replied with a small smile.

"Who's the lucky girl?"

"She's a redhead, and you know her," Will teased.

"Not Kimmie?" Anne was worried: she knew that Kimmie wanted to kill (well, maybe not kill, but, at least maim severely) the lean, lithe Agent Du on more than one occasion.

"Please, no, Dr. Possible," Will replied, almost insulted. "She does, however, work here at the hospital," he continued.

"Do I know her?" Anne smiled, thinking about Dr. Meghan Baxter and Nurse Susan Chaplin, both redheads and single.

'They **both** would be interested in some romantic gymnastics with this young man,' she grinned inside. 'Either one of them would love to spend some time with him,' she thought.

"I believe so." Will stood silently and smiled.

Anne's curiosity got the better of her, so she stood and came around her desk to face Will, leaning back slightly against her desk.

'Oh, my, goodness,' was one of Will's thoughts.

Anne's hospital coat was open, and he could see her beautiful lime-green silk blouse, filled to perfection and overflowing. He stared for an instant at the contrasting dark-brown above-the-knee skirt, but his eyes went to her gorgeous legs, presented for admiration in sheer hose and 2-inch heels.

'She **is** a goddess, truly worthy of worship from afar and near,' was his next thought, but then one more entered his mind, and he grinned excitedly inside, and his body began to respond.

"Actually, Anne, they're for you," and he placed the box in the hands of the now-totally-shocked Dr. Possible.

"T-t-t-thank you?" she stammered, and Will took advantage of her surprise to lean forward and kiss her cheek and then step back to see the surprised look in Anne Possible's face. She reached up and touched her cheek where he kissed it, a smile sneaking onto her face.

"Anne, you are a vision, a goddess. I have a small place in Bermuda: come and spend the weekend with me, and I will make you smile beyond your wildest dreams," and Anne thought about Bermuda and a certain swimsuit…

"Will, I'm truly flattered, but I **am** a married woman, you know." She replied, turning slightly and placing the roses on the desk. That turn did Will no good, for he saw an even-more-enticing profile of the good Doctor.

'The Doctor is definitely not IN; she's out, delightfully OUT,' and his body continued to respond

"Besides, wouldn't Kim be more your type? I'm not that adventurous," Anne added, and Will smiled, knowingly.

"Anne, your daughter is a cute young girl with delusions of grandeur. You, on the other hand, are exquisitely beautiful: roses everywhere want to come and be with you, just so they can learn how to be beautiful," Will continued, stepping a bit closer.

"But, Will," and she was silenced as his mouth met hers, and he kissed her hungrily.

For a few seconds, she dreamt and responded, but then she realized what had happened **and** what she felt….

"**AGENT!**

"**WILL!**

"**DU! **

"TAKE YOUR **ROSES**," Anne screamed into his face, "AND GET THE **HECK OUT** OF MY OFFICE **NOW**, BEFORE I CALL DR. DIRECTOR AND TELL HER WHAT YOU JUST DID!" as she pushed Will away, and Will, not the sharpest tack in the box, responded how he thought he should:

He came in for another kiss…

And doubled over, groaning and in agony as Dr. Anne Possible administered every woman's dream kick: a perfect connection, with a perfectly constructed Prada pump, into Will's 'parts'.

"**GET!**

"**OUT! **

"**NOW!"** She screamed again, grabbing the box from the desk and throwing it at him, hitting him in the head with it and showering the floor with roses.

Will reached down (not a long reach, in his current condition), picked up the box and collected the roses, and tried to make it out of the office before Anne prepared to administer a second kick.

He was, however, too late: Anne's other Prada pump embedded itself perfectly into his rear, propelling him much faster from her office than he had entered.

She slammed the door to her office and locked it

-----

"Dude, what happened to you?" US Navy NCIS Agent Lara asked the moaning, groaning, and (now) only semi-vertical Agent Du. Brady had a suspicion: the flowers about which Will had bragged so much were now totally crushed, the box was a wreck, and Will looked like he had gone three full rounds with a thoroughly angry Shego.

"She…didn't…like them," Will whispered and let out a loud moan, and Brady chuckled inside.

"Kim?"

"Anne."

'Du, you're an idiot," Brady stated, and Will pulled his head up slowly to stare, shocked, and the man who had just insulted him.

"Aside for the fact she's waaaaay out of your league, you never, I repeat, NEVER, go after a happily married woman. She is the **happiest** married woman on the planet, and **you** made a **pass** at **her**?

"You got what you deserved," Brady added, and he slapped Will on the back, causing another groan of pain to come from Will's mouth.

"Brady, what am I supposed to do?" Will asked, still in pain but now able to stand without groaning.

"I'm 26, unmarried, and I haven't found another woman, since her, that I want to marry or that would marry me. Kim is way too young, and besides, she is too much of an amateur for me. Anne's perfect, but she's already kicked me in my b-"

"That's usually a good indication that the answer is likely a 'no,' Will," Brady smirked, and Will nodded.

"Where is the one for me, that one woman, my 'soul mate?'" Will cried out, and Brady smiled sadly at him.

The two people that witnessed Will exiting Dr. Possible's office in an obviously pain-filled state and heard his conversation with Brady smiled at each other, and then headed towards the lounge for their break.

"He's such an ass," Dr. Meghan Baxter noted, and Nurse Susan Chaplin agreed.

"'Power,' he wants," Meghan held her hands out in front of her and grinned. "Well, he'll never get these," she laughed.

"Or these, Doctor," and Susan held her hands further out, and the ladies laughed at Will's plight as they headed for coffee.

"What do you think about…" and the lounge door closed.

"Let's go, Will; you've got an appointment down the street," Brady pulled Will vertical and headed him out the door towards Brady's car: they were heading to Brady's favorite watering hole in Middleton: the One True Thing. He figured that about 10 beers would get Will to a point that he would almost be human….

"And, Du? You gotta lay off the redheads: they'll be the death of you, seriously," Brady added as he shoved Will into his car and slammed the door on him, heading around to drive Will to drown his sorrows.

-----

"What am I going to do, Brady?" Will Du was totally, stink-faced, pure-d-drunk, and his voice showed it: he was obnoxious, loud and slurred, over the bar noise and music and clicks of the balls on the pool tables.

"About what, Will?" Brady was enjoying this: Will was such a cheap drunk: four beers, and he was way far gone down the road. Of course, those 20 chips he'd had for dinner didn't help.

"Finding the perfect 'Mrs. Du,' Brady-Wadie," and Will giggled. "I made a funny," and the lady at the bar next to him slid down a seat away from him.

"Why are you avoiding Kim, Will?"

"Kim Possible? She's got no 'power,'" and he held his hands up to his chest and cupped them. "That's all that that idiot Stinkable…Stupable…Stompable…Stoppable: that's it, Stoppable! That's all Stoppable deserves," and the lady made a face and gave Will a 'We're Number 1" sign.

Will, not surprisingly, missed the sign and ran for home, way behind the throw to the catcher.

"They're not at all like her mother: now, there's a woman with 'power!'" and he held his hands a good foot in front of his chest, and the lady that moved snarled at him, threw her drink in his face, and stormed away from the bar.

Out, by 10 feet.

"What'd I do?" Will whined as the bartender handed him a towel, saving his laugh until he turned away from Will.

"You need a servicewoman, some one who'll take your crap and dish it back to you, Will. You need someone like this," and Brady pulled out a picture from his jacket inner pocket and showed it to Will.

"WOW!" Will yelled, and the patrons all yelled

"**SHUT UP!**"

"I'm in wuv, Brady: who is she?" Will was smiling; even though he was blotto'ed, he could tell that she was a lovely young woman.

"Her name's Lindsey, but you'll never get even close to her: her boss will have you for lunch and leave no crumbs.

"Lindsey's boss makes Dr. Possible look like a saint by comparison," Brady added, but Will was still drooling over the picture.

"Forget it, sport," and Brady took the picture back.

"You need some sleep," and Brady helped him to his feet.

Brady managed to get him to the car with Will falling only two times, and back to his apartment and into bed without him making enough noise to get both of them arrested.

"Good night, sport," but Will was already snoring when his head hit the bed.

Brady closed the bedroom door, found a beer in Will's fridge, and sat on the couch, flicked on the television, popped the top, and pulled the picture out of his pocket.

"Lindsey, I really wish we could have made it: I really enjoyed your company, above everything else, even though the Admiral scared the bejesus out of me," Brady grinned.

"I hope you find what you're looking for: you really deserve the best, dear lady," and he kissed her picture and took a big drink.

Only the television set saw his tears as he placed the picture back into his pocket.

-----

Will woke up to the sound of dishes clattering in the kitchen, and his head was throbbing.

'How many beers did I have?' he thought, then his stomach gave him another priority, and he managed to get out of bed and to the toilet before he lost all of the beer.

"You ok in there, Will?"

"I'm-" and more came out.

"You sound like hell," Brady came into the room, and he grimaced.

"Whoa, man, you reek!"

"How much did I drink?" Will asked as he sat, leaning his head against the cool toilet bowl.

"Four at the bar, but you had no dinner, so it was on an empty stomach.

"Here," Brady handed him a glass.

"What's this?" Will sniffed and wrinkled his nose in disgust at the foul-smelling concoction.

"What you need, since you have a meeting in 45 minutes with Dr. Director and Admiral English, guy," and Brady took the glass from Will and dumped it into Will's open mouth, holding his nose to get him to open up.

The contents hit Will's stomach with a vengeance, made him stand up, head straight up about 20,000 feet, and return with no discernable time lapse. He felt energized, not hung over at all.

"Thanks, Brady," Will shook his hand. "You're a true friend, and I don't have many of those."

"Why is that, Will?" Brady shot back as he threw the clean jumpsuit at Will. "You've got to get your own act together before you can ever let someone else in," he stood as Will got dressed, slipped his boots on, and grabbed his beret from his desk and his tablet computer from the bedside table.

"What about you?" Will asked, and Brady slipped on his tie and jacket.

"Ready before you woke up, Will. Want some eggs?" he laughed as Will went green.

'Guess not,' Brady thought. "I've been called into the meeting, as well."

"Oh, crap: Dr. Possible called my boss, and I'm about to get mine handed to me again," Will hit the light switch on the way out and turned off the lights as they walked out of the apartment, Will locking the door behind him.

-----

"Good Morning, Admiral," Dr. Elizabeth Director, head of Global Justice, stood as Admiral Claudia Rose English stepped into the room. Will and Brady stood, Brady at attention, but neither had their full attention on the Admiral, but rather on her Aide:

Lieutenant Commander Lindsey Peterson stepped crisply behind her boss, her mentor, and she shot Brady a quick smile as she entered, pulling the door closed behind her as everyone took their seats.

Admiral English took a sip from her coffee cup, waiting for her on the table, then set it down and smiled.

"Now, that's Navy coffee," she announced with a chuckle, and Lindsey suppressed a chuckle.

"Well, Betty, have you given it any more thought?"

"I like the idea of liaisons between the services and Global Justice, Claudia Rose. I think that it will further the inter-agency relations as well as provide additional clarity in both organizations of the strengths and limitations of our respective charters," Betty began, and Claudia Rose nodded her agreement.

"The balancing act, of course, will be the international issues, but I believe that the arrangement that we've discussed is in conformance with the UN charter," Betty continued. "Additionally, we've already approached other entities; the initial responses have been very positive, especially after the Diablos and the efforts of Team Possible," and Will winced internally.

"You're correct, of course, Betty," Admiral English smiled. "Wade's intelligence information has been invaluable to us on some 'sitches;'" and the room chuckled, "I just wish I could win one chess match from him," she continued, and Will's surprise was not disguised.

"You're playing chess with Dr. Load?" He blurted out, and Betty shot him a quick glare.

Claudia laughed. "Yes, Special Agent Du, I am, and I haven't won a game, yet; I've had one draw, and that happened when the Diablos blew his roof away, and he was distracted," she added.

"Do you have any suggestions for liaison to GJ, Claudia Rose?" Betty asked, and Lindsey grinned.

"I'd like to volunteer, Admiral," she spoke up, and Brady's heart sank as Will's heart jumped.

"I'd have to think about that, Lindsey; I did have someone else in mind," and she looked at Brady Lara.

"I was thinking of NCIS Agent Lara, actually," and Brady's jaw dropped.

"Me, ma'am?" he stammered, and the Admiral nodded.

"Your intelligence expertise would be invaluable to Dr. Director, and the opportunity to work with Dr. Load would do wonders for enhancing your skills, as well. I believe that it would be a win-win for everyone," the Admiral turned to look at Brady. "Are you up to it, Agent Lara?"

"Yes, Ma'am!" he almost shouted her response, and Will chuckled silently.

"Good. Betty, I believe we have the first inter-agency liaison," and Admiral English stood, followed by the rest of the room.

"Good luck, Brady," Admiral stuck out her hand, and Brady shook it, then saluted. Claudia Rose returned his salute and left the room, followed by everyone except Betty and Lindsey.

"Dr. Director?" Lindsey asked, and Betty looked up at the young woman.

"Yes, Lt. Commander?" Betty's voice was crisp but calming at the same.

"Ma'am, I believe you need two liaisons," Lindsey announced.

"And, I need two, why?" Betty sat back down and smiled up to Lindsey.

"Well, ma'am, Agent Lara has NCIS experience, but he doesn't have the command background."

"And, you know someone who does?" Betty could see this trail being laid.

"Yes, ma'am: me," Lindsey smiled.

"And, besides, who better to ensure, from both sides, that the plan succeeds than its creator?" and Betty looked up with an inquisitive eye.

"Yes, ma'am, the liaison program was my idea," Lindsey spoke…

"And, a damn fine one, indeed, Lindsey," Admiral English stepped back into the room, and Betty chuckled to herself as Lindsey blushed.

"Well, Betty, are you going to take my aide, too?" Claudia Rose asked.

"Can you survive without the Lieutenant Commander?" Betty asked, and Lindsey looked in anticipation at the answer.

"No, I'm sorry, I can't," Claudia Rose acknowledged as Lindsey's countenance fell, but then Claudia Rose smiled, "but, I can survive without Commander Peterson," she smiled as she turned and faced a very-surprised Lindsey Peterson, shocked at the revelation all the way to her toes.

"Congratulations, Commander Peterson," the Admiral smiled. "I've submitted the final paperwork, and you should have your promotion before your report to Global Justice."

"You've earned the promotion, Lindsey, if for no other reason than putting up with me for 18 months," Claudia Rose laughed. "Don's let me down."

"I won't, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am," and she nodded her head towards the door. Claudia Rose nodded, and Lindsey withdrew out of the room.

Betty and Claudia Rose both laughed as they heard a cheer come from down the hall.

"Heading back, Betty?" Claudia Rose asked as they left the room.

"Yes," Betty smiled. "I came out to see some friends off, so I'm heading to Reagan National first to take them to their flight to Florida.

'I wonder when Wade's coming in,' Claudia thought as they left the Pentagon's E-Ring.

-----

"Dr Director," Supervising Agent Will Du came walking into Dr. Director's office uninvited, and Rebecca Jane Casey hit him.

"OW! What was that for?" he rubbed his arm that held the folder.

"Not knocking," Betty replied, then pointed to the folder. "What is it, Will?"

"We just received an inquiry from a USN officer, Dr. Director," and, was that Will Du smiling? Rebecca Jane asked herself.

"Yes, Lt. Commander Lindsey Peterson," and Will looked downcast. "I told her to contact you, Will, because you could give her the best view of the information she was looking for," Betty added, and Will's face actually cracked a smile! It was only for a moment, but it was too shocking for Rebecca Jane to catch a shot of it on her camera-phone; she hoped that the surveillance videos had caught it.

"Very well, Dr. Director, I'll get right in it."

"After Christmas, Will," Betty admonished.

"Yes, ma'am," he smiled again, turned, and left the room.

"Wow," was Rebecca Jane's only response.

"Oh, she's a wow, all right, and she's good, too: she's currently personal aide to the DNS.

"Admiral English?"

"Yes; do you know her?"

"Only by reputation."

"Well, it seems that she plays chess," Betty smirked.

"With who – NO! Not Wade?"

"The one and only, Rebecca Jane. He told her that Slim and Jocelyn were coming to DC to visit Sheri Nicole's gravesite in Arlington, and she arranged everything, including tours of the White House and actually coming to the gravesite with them."

"That matches what I've heard about her: she's on your side, and there's nothing she won't do for you; you're against her, and Heaven help you.

"So, when are you leaving?"

"I'm going home to pack, and then I'm outta here for two days, then the whole group of us are coming back to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at the Load's."

"I want to see the ring, Betty, when you get it at Christmas."

"Rebecca Jane!" Betty grinned, then converted it to a smile. "We agreed that we were going to go slow; I'm not sure if he's really ready, and I'm not sure what I'd do if he did offer me a ring."

"As Jocelyn would say, Betty: 'Snake Muffins!' The man loves you, and you know that, if he asked you, you'd say 'yes,'" and Betty smiled inside.

"Let me get back to this last case, and then I'm taking the tube to my apartment, packing, and taking the tube to the airport. I told Slim I'd fly up to meet him there and fly back commercial with him from Montana," and Betty went back to her desk and sat down to wrap up her work.

"Oh, My God, _**'It Must Be Love,'**_ if she's taking commercial," Rebecca Jane swooned, and headed out the door laughing, then stopped and turned around.

"Boss?" she said, and Betty looked up.

"Thanks for everything this year, and especially for having faith in me. Merry Christmas; I really do hope your dreams come true," and she turned and left the office.

"If I only knew," 'what my dreams were,' Betty finished her statement with a thought, then turned back and started her laptop shutdown.

-----

"Brady, looks like you have a stalker," Will announced with a smirk as he entered Brady's new and unfurnished office, unannounced. The office had a fold-out banquet table, two chairs, a filing cabinet, a computer, and a network node for the jamming devices and wireless network interface.

"Stalker?"

"Yea, Lindsey. She's gathering some information about some joint exercises, and they're the ones we talked about for the liaison role."

"Lindsey?" Brady perked up, then he grinned.

"She's not stalking me, Will," and Brady pointed at Will.

"ME?"

"You, Du-Dah. Didn't you see the way she glanced at you in DC?"

"No," Will sounded tentative, but then he smiled.

"Well, at least she recognizes quality talent when she see it," and Brady threw a book at him.

"You idiot! Do you want her to 'Anne' you?" Dr. Possible's 'punt' of Will from her office had become the subject of several of Brady's barbs, much to Will's displeasure.

"What should I do, then, Brady-man?"

"Be human, for a change: smile, laugh, and tell a decent, funny joke for once; not those stale wafers you tell me."

"Be... 'human?'" Will was perplexed.

Brady sighed. This was going to take longer than he had thought.

-----

**Author's afterward:**

-----

Will Du is an interesting person to continue the Birth, and Rebirth Arc.

(Will) So, now I'm forced to follow a stuffed animal in the storytelling; and, on top of that, the stuffed animal belongs to Kimberly Ann! I can't catch a break!

There will be more background material on Will, as well, to help explain why Will Du is…well, Will Du, as well as the tale, itself. And, we couldn't have Will without his 'unique' relationship with Kim, so she and Ron will appear, as will many of the JadeKimVerse cast members.

Enjoy!

-----

Next, on **Birth, and Rebirth 01**_**: Will I?**_

Chapter 2 –**Prepare soil**

Thank you, to all of you, for supporting us on this new journey.

Thanks again for reading, and please review.

-----

All Rights Reserved. Kim Possible Characters © The Walt Disney Company, USA.

9/14/2007

Thanks to jakt for the beta. Their suggestions and thoughts are timely and appreciated, as always.


	2. Chapter 2: Prepare soil

**Birth, and Rebirth 01**_**: Will I?**_

Disclaimer/Author's Notes: Kim Possible and all the characters of the show are owned by the Disney Company. The original lyrics to the songs referenced in this story and the music are the property of the respective authors, artists and labels. All other characters can be blamed on the author (he, however, is not responsible for all of their actions at all times, being barely responsible for himself most of the time).

This is a strictly not-for-profit, just-for-fun work.

Enjoy! Please read and review.

**A/N Forward: **

This is the tale of two individuals: how their lives unwind as they wind together, and how they intertwine with the lives of others.

A Will Du tale... chapter 1 was **Find seed.**

--

Chapter 2: **Prepare soil**

--

"Brady, looks like you have a stalker," Will announced with a smirk as he entered Brady's new and unfurnished office, unannounced. The office had a fold-out banquet table, two chairs, a filing cabinet, a computer, and a network node for the jamming devices and wireless network interface.

"Stalker?"

"Yea, Lindsey. She's gathering some information about some joint exercises, and they're the ones we talked about for the liaison role."

"Lindsey?" Brady perked up, then he grinned.

"Not me, Will," and he pointed at Will.

"ME?"

"You, Du-Dah. Didn't you see the way she glanced at you in DC?"

"No," Will sounded tentative, but then he smiled.

"Well, at least she recognizes quality talent when she see it," and Brady threw a GJ Procedure manual at him.

"You idiot! Do you want her to 'Anne' you?" Dr. Possible's 'punt' of Will from her office had become the subject of several of Brady's barbs, much to Will's displeasure.

"What should I do, then, Brady-man?"

"Be human, for a change: smile, laugh, and tell a decent, funny joke for once; not those stale wafers you tell me."

"Be 'human?'" Will was perplexed.

Brady sighed. This was going to take longer than he had thought. 'Maybe I should have hit him with a hard copy of _War and Peace_,' Brady thought.

--

Betty walked into her office with a totally-uncharacteristic morning smile on her face, and Rebecca Jane Casey had a suspicion...

"He _**asked**_ you, didn't he?" Rebecca Jane asked.

Betty said nothing as she walked around her desk and placed her briefcase on the credenza.

"Well?" Rebecca Jane asked again.

Betty didn't respond, choosing to sit in her chair and reach down to open her desk drawer for a folder, coyly egging Rebecca Jane on...

"Well?" Rebecca Jane fired again, this time in her Commander's voice. Perturbed, she was preparing to launch her patented ICBM, multiple warhead comment if Betty didn't respond, this time.

Betty sat back up and, with a big smile on her face, stuck out her hand.

"Oh...my...goodness, now, _**that**_'s a rock!" Rebecca Jane laughed, and she ran around the desk and hugged the Director of Global Justice.

"That's not all," Betty laughed as she pulled out the picture of the two hands, each with an incredible engagement ring on it.

"Whose hand is...NO! Kim?" Rebecca Jane all but shouted and squealed with glee.

"Yep," Betty replied with a smile on her face. "It looks like I'll have Kim as a relative; that could be a problem," Betty mused as she realized the implications of her statement for the first time, having just made the mental connections regarding Global Justice policies.

"This could get interesting," she said to herself, but she shook her head as Rebecca Jane finished her statement and question-

"-ask you, Betty?" and Betty re-processed the information.

"Christmas Eve night, after Kim and I sang at church," she replied, and Rebecca Jane saw her boss literally glowing with happiness.

A knock came outside the office, and both Rebecca Jane and Betty looked up with a start and shock:

Will Du was...knocking?

Will Du, polite?

"Excuse me, Dr. Director, but I wanted to report to you on an email exchange that I had with Commander Lindsey Peterson," Will began, and Rebecca Jane was trying not to laugh, because Will was not succeeding very well in his attempt to hide the smile on his face.

"Certainly, Will: you did wait until after Christmas to contact her as I instructed, didn't you?"

"Yes, ma'am: we exchanged correspondence three days post-Christmas. Commander Peterson asked for information on the joint exercises that we discussed before the holiday, and I provided it to her. She and I agreed that it would be best for her to come here after the first of the year to meet and cover the high-level goals for all teams and ensure that we were all on the same page regarding exercise expectations.

"When is she coming, Will?" Betty asked, already knowing the answer: she and Admiral English had already discussed this.

"Her jet landed 10 minutes ago, and she should be in the tube room in about 10 minutes," Will replied.

"Good: you and Brady go and meet her, Will," Betty suggested. Will nodded, turned, and left.

Rebecca Jane waited until Will turned down the next hall before she got up and closed the door. When she turned back to face Betty, she burst out laughing.

"Betty, what have we done to that poor, unsuspecting Commander?"

"The better question, Rebecca Jane, is:

"What have we done to Will?" and Betty laughed as she reached over to start the coffeepot.

--

Commander Lindsey Peterson took a very deep breath as she landed in Global Justice Headquarters: the tube room, to be precise.

"Momma told me 'there'd be days like this', but I don't think she had flying underneath the surface of the earth as one of them" she said to herself as she stepped out of the enclosure, standing in front of her duffel and her portfolio.

"Def a woman's touch," she laughed as she glanced to the right and saw the mirror. She checked herself to see if she looked as unkempt as she felt:

What she saw was a relatively tall (by some women's standards), approximately 5'8.5" inch young woman, wearing her Navy dress uniform, but that was where the Navy stopped.

Her hair was a brownish-blond, trimmed just above her shoulders in an elongated page-boy haircut, and a few wisps of hair fell in front of her ears, barely masking the tiny diamond stud earrings that she wore. Her shoulders weren't broad, but they were well-defined, and they emphasized her long ('too long: too many giraffe jokes in elementary school,' she thought, but others disagreed, she remembered with an inside laugh) neck. Her face was framed by a well-defined, but not a massive, jaw and her brown eyes with a tint of aqua in them, just enough to make her look a bit exotic. She laughed, and her nose crinkled: not a big one, but not a pug, either, with nostrils and jaw that set her lips apart from many other women ('or, so I've been told,' she giggled inside: 'not starlet-full, but nothing to turn down, either,' she remembered.

She liked the way she looked, and her daily exercise regime had helped her keep her body tone, built from years of softball and ballet, a combination that confused many and made the rest laugh…until they saw her scholarship offers to college. All of them just confused everyone when she turned down the Navel Academy appointment and enrolled in the school she had always dreamed of attending, but she took the Navy scholarship offer, joining the NROTC and graduating with honors, her commission, and the hearts smashed of five very different young men in college, who all wanted to marry her.

She had always thought that she was cute, not especially pretty, but the men in college had told her otherwise: she was beautiful beyond words. 'Would that I could find a man who would tell me that and truly mean it, not just say it to try to get me between the sheets,' she mused inside as she reached over and hoisted her duffel onto her shoulders and placed the portfolio into her left hand, just in time for the door to open and-

"Commander Peterson: welcome," The medium-height, slim young man in the ubiquitous Global Justice jump suit stepped through the door, and Lindsey knew she was in trouble, once again.

Will too a good look at Commander Peterson, and something told him that she wasn't the everyday Navy Commander.

He looked her up, and his mind immediately compared her to his dream woman, Dr. Anne Possible:

She wore sensible, what looked like 1-inch black Navy heels, and her shapely legs were covered in what were obviously not Navy-issue stockings, he thought. Her outfit was standard Navy dress blues, but she wore them extremely well.. She didn't hide in her uniform like so many other women in the Services that he knew: every breathe she took, every move she made, made a statement with finality that she was most definitely a woman to be reckoned with.

She was neither full-figured nor skinny, but she seemed to have an athletic build, and he had noticed that she moved with grace inside the room. He wondered about her background: athletics, arts, but he dismissed the thoughts for the moment, for he was now up to her neck, and he wondered how it would taste...

Then, he got to her face, and he smiled inside. She wasn't a bubbly, pretty young thing.

Her lips looked perfect to him: not too full, and not too thin, either, with more than a hint of command in them. She had a strong face, one that called for command and demanded respect, not for following like so many other women he knew, and he really wanted to explore that space between her upper lip and her nostrils.

Her eyes...

Light brown, with a hint of...blue in them? They literally danced around the room, scanning the room and, he thought, peering into and through his very soul, but he did not know their final judgment.

She looked him over, and she found him…intriguing, to say the least.

He was a slim, approximately 5' 6-.5" tall, and he looked like he kept himself in very good shape ('STOP IT, LIN!' she grinned inside). He had dark, black hair, and he had a long and lean look on him, like a cobra ready to strike at a moment's notice. She couldn't tell his nationality: Asian was her first thought, but she remembered some students in college that were from Hawaii, some from the Acadian region of Canada, and even some from Louisiana, and he could have passed for any of them.

He had a serious look on his face, but something told Lindsey that there was mischief behind those eyes; 'I just had to find it,' she thought.

All of that ran through both of their minds as Brady came from behind Will...

"I believe you know NCIS Agent Brady Lara," Will said as Brady came up on his side and saluted.

"Commander," Agent Lara spoke, and Lindsey returned his salute.

"Good morning, Agent Lara. Supervising Agent Du, where are we heading, and please don't tell me we're tubing again."

"We save that for external travel, Commander: inside the complex, we 'slum' and use elevators and stairs," Will replied, and he could see Commander Peterson's shoulders visibly relax.

"May I take that bag for you, Commander?" Will stepped forward and reached, and Lindsey slid it off of her shoulder and placed the strap into Will's hand. Their hands barely touched, but, later, each would have sworn that there was a spark of electricity that was exchanged, the power of which could have powered the Pentagon off-grid for a full year.

--

"I believe that you need to see the facilities at the Bunker in order to gain a full appreciation of them, Commander Peterson; you too, Brady," Will added as he finished his over view.

"This 'Bunker:' in Montana, you said earlier, correct?" Lindsey asked, and Will nodded. Lindsey looked skeptical. "And, it's under civilian control, as well, correct?"

"Yes, and no, Commander. The Bunker is owned by Dr. Samuel Clemens Possible, USN (retired), and it _is_ a multipurpose facility: Montana DCI is using it in conjunction with _**Blaze**_**IT!** for northern border drug interdiction, and it's also being used as a primary facility for Team Possible's computer operations."

"Team Possible, as in Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, and Dr. Wade Load?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Affirmative, Commander," Will replied, and Lindsey smiled for the fiirst time of the entire briefing.

"That Dr. Samuel Clemens Possible: he wouldn't, by any chance, happen to be Dr. Slim Possible, the father of Andrea Jocelyn Possible, would he, Will?"

"That's another affirmative, Commander," Betty walked into the room, and she waved them back down as they began to rise from their seats. "Please, Claudia Rose isn't here," Betty laughed.

"There is one other thing you should know about Commander Possible, Lindsey," Betty smiled.

"And, that is?"

"He's now also my fiancé," Betty grinned as she held up her hand, showing the ring and shocking all three in the room.

"As of...?" Lindsey asked.

"Christmas Eve night; why?"

"Admiral English lost the pool, then," Lindsey grinned, and both Will and Brady laughed while Betty blushed, but it disappeared quickly and was replaced by-

"What did she have?" Betty asked with a wicked gleam in her eye.

"She had Christmas Day lunch; I had Christmas Eve night, 11:55PM," Lindsey grinned. "I guess I get that new sound system for my apartment, now," she laughed, and Will had a very wicked thought flash through his mind...but it left as quickly as it entered.

"So, Jocelyn's getting a mother now, too, huh?" Lindsey asked, and Betty nodded. "Couldn't happen to a nicer young woman, and that boyfriend of hers is a riot, as well."

"Boyfriend?" Will looked and sounded perplexed.

"Dr. Wade Load, of course...Will, I'm disappointed in you," Lindsey shook her head sadly. "All of this information available locally, and you have to get it from a visiting Navy woman," she looked up at him.

"Well, I didn't-" Will started, but he caught the gleam in Lindsey's eye, and she threw him a huge stage wink.

"Thanks, loads," Will pouted, and Brady laughed.

"Told you, Will: you've finally met your match," he smiled, and he looked over at Lindsey and realized just how foolish he had been to let her get away.

'She'll never give me another chance in my lifetime, and I can't say as I blame her,' he thought sadly.

"So, when are the flights to Montana?" Lindsey asked.

"Never," Will replied, and Lindsey blanched.

"Tube?" she asked, her voice a bit shaky

"Tube," Will replied with a grin, and Brady punched him in the side.

"I'd better change, then; I don't need _that_ much air underneath my skirt, again," Lindsey commented, and then she realized what she said and blushed.

Betty laughed, Brady's mind headed directly for the gutter, and Will missed it entirely.

"Let's meet back here in two hours, and I'll take you both on the tour, Brady, Lindsey: I just have to talk to Commander Adams about something."

"Talk to me about what, Betty?" Lindsey looked up to see a large African-American man standing in the doorway, filling it with his presence and his voice but not his frame, 'although not missing it by much,' she thought. He had a smile on his face that seemed to scream major mischief, and Lindsey felt that this was someone she definitely needed to meet. His salt-and-pepper hair fit him well, and his jumpsuit was not standard issue; either it was special order, or he had an excellent tailor.

"Something personal, C. P.," Betty began, and C. P. snorted.

"You mean, you _**finally**_ roped Slim into proposing?" he laughed, and Betty-

"I did not rope him into anything, C. P.!" Betty replied as she threw a wadded piece of paper at him; Lindsey could see that _this_ was a relationship most definitely worth watching.

"Besides, how did _**you**_ know?"

"The three T's, Betty: you should know them, by now," C. P. laughed as he turned and started down the hall, stopping after two steps to look over his shoulder with a very wicked grin. "Telephone, of course. Telegraph, and Tell-a-female-GJ-Agent," he turned and walked away, ignoring the wads of paper thrown at him by Betty.

'Oh, yeah, I most _definitely_ need to get to know him: he's Admiral English, without the fangs,' Lindsey laughed inside as C. P. turned the corner, but stuck his head back around and stuck his tongue out before he continued on his way

Betty's cell rang, and she touched her earbud.

"Director here: talk to me," she commanded, and the room fell silent.

More silence, and she nodded once, then twice.

"Now that you're extracted your pound of tea leaves, Dr. Adams, I need you to sign off on those medical positions at the Bunker. I have two people for you to interview, and-"

Betty was silent, and then she laughed.

"All right, Doctor Adams, I know you're not a human resources administrator, but if you don't hire them, I will, and you'll be stuck giving evaluations to people you have to meet, sooner or later, even if you do still plan to retire in April," she laughed and she tapped her earbud.

"Plan B, people: meet me in the tube room after lunch, and pack for at least one night, more likely two: we've got some work at the bunker, and I've got some things to do in addition to giving you a tour up there." Betty turned and left the room.

"Well," Brady stood, and Will and Lindsey followed his lead, "I guess we'd better get packing," he said. "May we show you to your quarters, Commander?"

"Yes, thank you," Lindsey picked up her portfolio, and Will picked up her duffel, and they headed out of the room.

They headed out of the room, each buried in their own thoughts, and they didn't speak until they arrived at Lindsey's room. Will and Brady told her they'd meet her at her door at 11:00 for a quick meal before taking the tube after lunch.

--

Lindsey thought about several things as she changed into her working uniform, managing to sneak in a pair of slacks in her wardrobe in addition to her skirts as a matter of comfort and modesty.

She wondered what Brady had been doing all this time, ever since she broke up with him. He was a nice guy, but he didn't have the drive that she wanted in a future mate. And, at that time, she was looking seriously for a husband.

Of course, that was before she met Admiral English head-on, and Claudia Rose had mentored her in so many different ways, not the least of which was in determining her own expectations and learning what were deal-breakers, nice-to-haves, and the chaff. That helped her decide that she had made the right decision about Brady; still, it hurt a bit, because she liked him.

"I just didn't like-like him, she giggled as she finished unpacking and changing at the same time.

She didn't want a Navy man; she didn't want to talk business all day and all night. Civilians were too boring, or at least the ones she'd run into in Washington. The Senators and Representatives only wanted one of two things: access to her boss, or access to Lindsey, and she was not willing to give either away. The White House staffers, as well as the Congressional staffers that she had dated, were just as bad.

She had remained friends with Brady, as hard as it had been at first for her. She was afraid that he still had feelings for her and, even worse, she was afraid that she might still have feelings for him. They had managed to make it so far, she thought, even thought there were some sleepless nights on her part.

'But, what the deal with Will?' she asked herself, and she felt her temperature rise. That hadn't happened since Brady...

'Oh, SNAP,' she thought. 'NOT AGAIN!'

"What am I doing?" she said out loud, and the mirror reflection didn't answer.

'And, I'll bet he's bothered by the fact I'm taller than him, even if it is only a few inches," she sighed. 'Maybe I can use this trip to see just what he's thinking,' she smiled as she smoothed her shirt and tie, then repacked her things for ready access.

Then, she pulled out her book and MePod, started it after she placed the earpiece in, and listened to some music while she read trying to get her mind off of Will Du...

--

It wasn't working for Will.

He had returned to his on-base quarters and gone to his meditation corner, lit candles, and took the position to meditate.

He couldn't get his mind off of her.

He could only think about her, and he's only seen her in person twice.

'This is not good,' he thought, and he rose and went to the other corner, stripping out of his jumpsuit and grabbing a workout gi to go after his karate dummy.

"A few rounds will do it," he said as he began to strike, tossing off sequences of roundhouse kicks that would have shocked the people that had never seen him work out before. He changed over to alternating kicks and punches, but he couldn't shake his thoughts, even after 30 minutes of a heavy workout.

"What _**is**_ it about her?" he asked, pouring ice water over his head to cool down after his workout. "She's cute, but she's not anywhere near as pretty as Anne, but Anne never did this ti my concentration, even when I was totally infatuated with her.

"What spell has she cast?" he asked himself as he headed to the bedroom and shower, removing his gi, workout shoes, and underwear as he walked. He stepped into the shower and turned it on high cold, and the blast of icy water still didn't calm his thoughts as he soaped and rinsed.

He turned off the water, stepped out and grabbed a towel, and dried as he returned to this bedroom. He looked at the beads on the desk, reached for them, and stopped.

'I'm not ready for that, just yet,' he thought as he dressed for the trip to the Bunker, grabbing his coat, winter, standard issue with gloves, Global Justice and crammed it into his pre-packed travel bag. He grabbed his laptop bag, shoved the laptop into it, and he was ready.

He thought, as he left his room, that there must be something he could say that would drive her into his arms immediately. 'I'll have to think about it on the way to Montana,' he mused as he closed his door and headed back for her room.

--

'I'm is serious trouble,' Will thought as he and Brady walked behind Lindsey and Betty, Will carrying Lindsey's bag and Brady carrying Betty's.

'That Slim Possible is one lucky man,' Brady thought as they entered the tube room.

'Lindsey looks like a cheetah, ready for action, and those pants…they're almost better than the skirt, and the movement…STOP IT, WILL!'

'I know Betty's older, and I know she's engaged, but that doesn't mean I can't admire the creations of the Creator, does it?'

"You know what they're doing back there, don't you, Lindsey?" Betty whispered, and Lindsey almost imperceptibly shook her head 'no.'

"They're checking you out, Commander and, judging from the silence, you're most definitely received an A," Betty chuckled quietly, and Lindsay softly groaned.

"I don't think so, Betty: Brady and I broke up months ago, and Will hasn't said word one to me," Lindsey replied as they walked to the control panel.

"_Never_ underestimate Senior Agent Du, Lindsey: he can and **will** surprise you," Betty chuckled.

"Well, I'm _**full**_ of surprises, too," Lindsey countered, and she had no idea why Betty whooped with laughter.

'Oh, this should be interesting,' Betty thought as she motioned for Brady to go first.

He stepped into the tube, and he dropped with a whoosh.

"Will," Betty said, and Will placed the bags on the platform; they disappeared, and he stepped on and followed them.

"Lindsey," Betty nodded, and Lindsey was glad that Betty had recommended a light lunch.

She stepped to the pad, closed her eyes, and the floor fell out from underneath her feet.

She screamed all the way to Montana, but it only took 15 minutes.

Her throat was sore, but at least her lunch stayed down….

--

**Author's afterward:**

--

Will Du is an interesting person to continue the Birth, and Rebirth Arc.

(Will) So, at least I'm back; 'neb seemed to have forgotten me, once again: I just can't catch a break!

(Lindsey) Will! Give the man a break! He's telling your story, so be nicem for once.

(Will, smiling) Yes, Lindsey….

They're heading to the bunker, and Will's first meeting with Tornado.

(Will) Now, an animated four-footed creature, 'neb?

(Tornado) Pay him no mind, sir: shall I dispose of him?

('neb) No, Tornado, it's all right.

Look for more background material on Will, as well, to help explain why Will Du is…well, Will Du. And, we couldn't have Will without his 'unique' relationship with Kim, so she and Ron will appear, as will many of the JadeKimVerse cast members. And, of course, what would the Bunker be without Will and …Joss? Oh, dear, this could lead to a cornucopia of disturbing events, indeed…..

Enjoy!

--

Next, on **Birth, and Rebirth 01**_**: Will I?**_

Chapter 3: **Plant seed**

Thank you, to all of you, for supporting us on this new journey.

Thanks again for reading, and please review.

--

All Rights Reserved. Kim Possible Characters © The Walt Disney Company, USA.

03/31/2008

Thanks to jakt and Star-Eva01for wonderful beta work,. Their suggestions and thoughts are timely and appreciated, as always.

--

The chapter outline for the story of one Global Justice Supervising Agent Will Du...and some one who thinks he's special, in a weird sort of way...

Chapter 1: **Find seed**

Chapter 2: **Prepare soil**

Chapter 3: **Plant seed**

Chapter 4: **Water plant**

Chapter 5: **Nurture plant**

Chapter 6: **Weed plant**

Chapter 7: **Prune plant**

Chapter 8: **Harvest plant**

Chapter 9: **Enjoy fruits of labor**

From your friendly neighborhood 'nebster...

--


	3. Chapter 3: Plant seed

**Birth, and Rebirth 01**_**: Will I?**_

Disclaimer/Author's Notes: Kim Possible and all the characters of the show are owned by the Disney Company. The original lyrics to the songs referenced in this story and the music are the property of the respective authors, artists and labels. All other characters can be blamed on the author (he, however, is not responsible for all of their actions at all times, being barely responsible for himself most of the time).

This is a strictly not-for-profit, just-for-fun work.

Enjoy! Please read and review.

**A/N Forward: **

This is the tale of two individuals: how their lives unwind as they wind together, and how they intertwine with the lives of others.

A Will Du tale...

--

Chapter 3: **Plant seed**

--

Lindsey landed in Montana, but she was without an aircraft.

Her feet hit the tube landing pad in the Bunker just as she bent her knees a bit, passing the 30-foot-wide red warning painted on the inside of the tube, and that cushioned her landing a bit. She saw her duffel and computer bag in front of her. She stepped down, but her heel caught on the edge of the pad, and she fell forward.

"Commander!" Will saw her misstep and caught her as she fell forward into him.

"I've got you," he smiled.

Her brown eyes stared into his. She had never been this close to him before. "Thank you, Supervising Agent Du," Lindsey felt his arms holding her, and she took a deep breath…oh, no, he smelled so good. Every alarm in her woman's intuition went off…and that meant trouble: serious trouble, with a capital 'T' 'and that rhymes with 'P' and that stands for pool,' she giggled, remembering the musical that Claudia Rose had gotten her hooked on, one late night of work and laughs.

"You're welcome, Commander," Will smiled, and he took a sniff of the hair in his face: 'I'm in serious trouble,' he thought. 'Lavender and spiced apple: she smells wonderful,' he thought as he inhaled her hair. For some reason, 'distraction' popped into his mind; this time, however, he liked the distraction…a lot.

The incoming signal broke their thoughts, and they separated before Dr. Director landed.

The looks were not lost on Brady, however, and he smiled inside. 'If I can't have her, maybe Will will have a chance.'

The two smiled as Betty bounced energetically from the landing, and she lifted her hands to the ceiling, not unlike a cat stretching after a nap, Lindsey noted. Betty laughed as she extended her body to extraordinarily proportions. "Wow, I still love that ride," she announced, and Lindsey noted that Betty's stretch did not go unnoticed by the men.

"Yee-haw, Betty," a male voice came from behind, and Will saw the Director of Global Justice break into a huge grin and yell:

"SLIM!"

Will turned just as Betty ran past him and grabbed the cowboy: well, that's what he looked like, with the cowboy hat, the huge handlebar mustache, western plaid shirt, jeans, and boots. The dichotomy, to Will, was that everything that he wore was not stereotypical cowboy, in Will's mind: he was pressed, shined, and almost spotless.

Lindsey watched as Betty threw her arms around Slim and planted a grand-slam kiss in the middle of the mustache.

Lindsey was jealous for a moment: 'she's found someone this special, and I can't find the door,' she pouted inside, but she thought about the man standing next to her '…no chance…to the max,' she thought, but a tiny part of her mind replied, with a grin, 'chance.'

Betty turned, holding Slim's hand and a huge smile on her face, and faced her team. "Lindsey, Will, Brady, this is Doctor Samuel Clemens Possible, my fiancée," she announced, squeezing his hand she did.

Three sets of jaws dropped.

"Dr. Possible?" Will stammered. "THE Doctor Samuel Clemens Possible, of the latest fusion and AI advances?"

"Ah'm guilty, Ah suppose," Slim grinned and stuck out his hand. "I've heard good things about you from Betty and my niece, Agent Du," he added, and Brady laughed.

"You're kidding, right?" Brady dead-panned. "'Good things' about Will from 'Kimberly Ann?'" Brady continued, and both Slim and Betty laughed as Will blushed.

'He's embarrassed at how he used to treat her,' Lindsey thought, and she knew she had to get to know this young man better.

"Yes, indee-ee do," Slim laughed. "Kimmie's a lot happier with Will; well, she's a lot happier with everybody these days...Ah wonder if that could be because of Ron's stunt," he added.

"Look who's talking," Betty chuckled as she wrapped an arm around his waist. "You shocked the dickens out of me with that ring, and on Christmas Eve, to boot."

"'The dickens?'" Lindsey laughed. "Oh, Betty, he got to you good.

"I'm Commander Lindsey Peterson, Dr. Possible," she stepped forward. "I've heard rumors about some of your 'antics' from Claudia Rose and some of your 'former' partners-in-crime, and I was told to make certain that you got this," and she handed him a box that she had retrieved from her duffel bag. Slim took the box and grinned.

"This is from 'Richard,' isn't it," he nodded. She smiled, saying nothing, and stepped back before the lightening came through the ground above and struck her.

A pair of beeps, and Slim looked at his watch. "Sweet Tea's getting out of school soon, Elizabeth: you wanna surprise her?"

"She already has advance notice of Ms. Director's arrival, Sir," a mellow tenor voice came over the sound system.

"Oh, well, it was worth a shot, 'T'" Slim laughed. "Did you email her?"

"Sir, I sent her a text," T sounded offended. "E-mail is sooo 'old school,' but it _**is**_ perfect for you, sir," T continued, and Slim looked mollified as the GJ team laughed. "Of course I notified her, sir: it was her request so she would not be surprised," the voice seemed to smile, and Lindsey grinned: good help was hard to find, and especially up in Montana in the winter.

"Have y'all seen any of the Bunker facility?" Slim leaned over and kissed Betty's cheek, causing an extreme amount of blood to rise to her face.

"No, sir," Brady replied, punching Will in the side: he was smiling at Betty.

"Wehl, let's git y'all the hundred-dollar tour, then," Slim reached down and picked up Betty's and Lindsey's bags with ease, generating a raised eyebrow from both Brady and Will. He walked over to a wall, punched a button with a finger, and a panel lifted. He placed the bags on the shelf in the compartment and turned. "Let me have your bags, too, Brady, Will," and they brought them over and placed them on the shelf. The panel slid shut, and a slight whooshing sound came from behind the panel. "They'll be in your rooms when we git finished with the tour," Slim explained, and he nodded toward the door that was now open.

"Don't you mean a nickel tour, Dr. Possible?" Will asked, picking up his laptop bag and slinging it over his shoulder, and Slim laughed heartily.

"Son, those went out with nickel beer and penny gumballs," was his response as he walked back, took Betty's hand, and the two of them led the group out of the landing pad and headed for the corridor.

Lindsey let out a low whistle when she stepped into the hallway, or rather the throughway, as wide as it was. It was wide enough that people could walk on either side, near the walls, and two of the silent electric carts could drive past each other in opposite directions, leaving ample space. The ceilings had to be 15-20 feet tall and open to pipes and conduits, all painted colors to indicate the contents. Two agents rolled by on Segways, discussing the weather.

"How **big** is this place?" Brady asked, and Slim chuckled.

"Big enough to make dreams come from nightmares," he pointed at a large metal door mounted on a wall. "Did y'all see the first South Dakota Smith movie? Remember that there warehouse at the end of the movie?"

"The one where they stored the crate?" Brady asked, and Slim nodded.

"Now, that's big," Lindsey smiled, and she let out a low whistle that put a smile on Slim's face.

The massive steel door, mounted in the corner on the wall, was painted with the United States Air Force SAC logo (Strategic Air Command). "We got this from one of the missile silos we're sitting on top of," Slim explained. "Ah lak to keep it heah to remind people of what we were, not of what we should be. We still need to defend ourselves, but we can do it in a multitude of different ways today; we have to," Slim's voice was different now, a bit sadder. "The people we're against are all kinds: from big countries to small countries, groups of all sized and purposes, and supervillians, we have to be ready for all of them.

"Ah bought the properties, that the government had leased from the ranchers for the missile silos back in the late 1990s, after moving back to the States with Sweet Tea," Slim continued as they walked toward the elevators. "The three ranchers were thrilled to sell their land: they were tired of being in the leasing business and even more tired of dealing with the government, but I already knew how to work the Fed game. Sweet Tea was young enough back then that she didn't mind being out here with me while Ah built the new ranch house and started to build the research program and facilities, and she really enjoyed being the center of attention from the construction workers and the research associates."

'This must have cost a fortune!' Lindsey thought, and she asked: "who's underwriting all of this?"

Slim stopped and thought about how to respond.

"There are multiple sources, Commander Peterson," he said. "First, there are multiple colleges and universities (at last count, ah reckon there were over 50), that currently send students here for graduate studies: Masters', PhDs' and post-doctoral studies. There were, at last count, over 100 undergraduate schools that we have arrangements with for semester- and year-long programs in various areas of concentration, from advanced mathematics, computer science, artificial intelligence, chemistry, and physics to botany, ecological, and environmental studies. "

They reached the bank of elevators, and Slim punched a code into the control console, calling down the center car. "We also have research grants from a few corporations that also assist us in our research projects. The corporations were told, prior to the grants being awarded, that they would have no control in the research efforts, and none of then had a problem with the guidelines," and he smiled as he elevator door opened. Betty and Lindsey stepped into the spacious car, followed by Brady and Will. Slim entered last and coded the destination before turning to observe the expected sight: all four were mesmerized by the rear wall. The entire wall wasn't a wall; rather, it was a massive single-panel HD display of a major winter snowfall, creating a feeling of cold inside the comfortable room that was now rising.

Lindsey loved the snow, having spent far too many glorious days making snow angels when she was growing up and pelting her brothers (with deadly accuracy, she remembered the yelps with glee when she would strike her target) with softball-sized snowballs, but it was the statement coming from next to her that shocked her:

"Dr. Possible...is...is this a picture, sir?" Will asked softly, almost reverently and Lindsey turned and watched as he stared, unblinking, at the falling snow on the screen.

"No, it's a live feed from one of the cameras, here on the ranch," Slim replied with a small chuckle.

"It's...it's beautiful," Will whispered. "It looks like winter, back home, when I was growing up: I used to watch the snow come down like this, early in the morning, when everyone else was asleep, and all around me was silent," he whispered

Lindsey felt her heart melt as she watched the smile form on Will's face while, simultaneously, a tear snaked from his right eye down the bridge of his nose. 'Unless he's a mass murderer, I've got to get to know this man: he loves the same things I do, and where else can I find someone who does?'

Will stared at the image on the wall, but he glanced to his right and saw Lindsey smiling.

'With me, or at me: I don't care. I'd fight Shego bare-handed for one of those smiles,' he thought, and he realized that he had to get to know this tall, lovely Navy Commander.

Brady watched the unspoken exchange, 'the dance of the luscious and the lame,' he would later label it. 'Du, if you screw this up, I'll go 'Shego' on your rump, all by myself, and I'll leave the remainder for the Admiral. Don't you dare hurt her, Will.'

Brady realized that they were still rising, and he glanced at the elevator readout: level 3. "Just how far down were we, Dr. Possible?"

"Y'all are gonna havta start calling me 'Slim,'" Slim laughed. "We were on level Five. We're heading for level Zero, where the main command center is located with facilities for Global Justice, **Team Possible**, plans for Montana DCI, and, at some point in the future, _**Blaze**_**IT! S&R."**

"What else is housed in this facility?" Lindsey turned away from the display to ask.

"My private research facilities as well as the research facilities for the students and others here, for starters. Power, communications, living quarters, full-cycle water processing, computer processing and data storage, and Dr. Load's personal research, as well," Slim spoke as the elevator display changed from "2" to "1", "and, of course, there are the controls for mah birds in the sky," he grinned, and Betty punched him in the ribs playfully.

"'Birds?'" Brady asked.

"Yup: Ah've got four up raght now in polar orbit, and someone' gotta keep an eye on 'em," he replied with a grin. "The networks keep askin' if they can use them as backups, and I keep giving them a price tag that don't want to pay. Ah'm not about sellin' to them: Googal Terra laks their privacy on mah birds."

A soft chime sounded, and Will looked up at the display, now changing to "0."

"By the way, Dr. Poss- er, Slim, what the key card button under the zero button?"

"We're still under construction in lots of areas, so watch yer feet and don't step in wet cement," Slim laughed as the elevator door opened, avoiding Will's question..

'I didn't feel it stop,' Lindsey marveled, and Slim stepped out, offered his hand to Betty, and the rest joined him at the landing and stood, looking out over the vast expanse of the center. There were about 20 people currently at desks and/or talking to others at desks, but the majority of the facilities were not occupied by any stretch of the imagination, and there were still desk units in boxes on the floor in large open areas. The facility reminded Lindsey of a sleeping panther, or a relaxed cobra, ready at a moment's notice to spring into action.

A door on the near side of the facility flew open, and a red blur ran past Will, sweeping cold air past him, and screaming:

"**MOMMA2!!"**

"I tried to tell her, sir," the voice came from over the intercom as the giant red bundle slammed into a beaming Betty.

"I know, 'T', but thanks for trying, anyway," Slim replied, and several of the individuals in the center, having looked up at the scream, grinned and laughed.

Will watched Betty wrap her arms around the bundle and pull it tight to her, ignoring the dripping from the snow outside.

When Betty reached up and pulled the cap from the bundle's head, a mass of reddish/brown hair came falling out, and Lindsey grinned as Betty leaned down and kissed the bundle's forehead.

"Joss?" she called, and the bundle turned at the sound.

"LINDSEY!" Joss Possible screamed and ran, grabbed Lindsey, and hugged her, dripping on her, as well.

"T didn't tell me you were here," she laughed from her muffled position.

"Perhaps, Miss Possible, because you did not request notification of the arrival of Commander Peterson," the voice replied with a hint of a smirk.

"How's your hunk, Joss?" Lindsey asked, and Joss blushed and grinned.

"Good as gold, Lindsey: I'm a-going down to Middleton in a few weeks to see him," she grinned, and Lindsey grinned even bigger at the approaching person, holding his finger to his lips in a 'shush' motion.

"Why are ya grinning, Lindsey?" Joss asked, and she jumped as she felt a tapping on her shoulder. She turned, and she beamed and shouted, shed her massive red coat and screamed at the same time: "Wade! Why didn't you tell me you were a-comin' up?"

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I did, Sweet Tea," he replied, but further communications were cancelled by the pair of lips meshed together as their arms found each other's body.

Lindsey and Will watched as Wade and Joss hugged and kissed and both thought, at the same time, as they glanced out of the corner of their eyes at the other:

'That looks like fun: I wonder if...NAH! Well, maybe, if...'

"DTB," Betty laughed, and Joss/Wade became Joss and Wade, much to their chagrin. "There are a couple of people here that you haven't met yet," and Brady stepped forward.

"Miss Possible, Dr. Load, I'm NCIS Agent Brady Lara," he extended his hand to Joss, and Joss grinned and shook it. "Beauty always comes first, Dr. Load: you know that," and Brady offered his hand to Wade. Joss giggled as Wade shook Brady's hand.

Wade looked up, and Will grimaced: the young man remembered him from his encounter with Kimberly Ann, and Will tried to hold back his concern as he extended his hand to Wade.

"Dr. Load, we haven't formally met," Will began, but Wade cut him off, extending his hand and smiling.

"I know who you are, Supervising Agent Du," he shook Will's hand, but Joss gasped.

"_**You're**_ Du-Duh?" she exclaimed.

Lindsey giggled inside. 'Du-duh?' she thought. 'I've _**got**_ to know the rest of _**that**_ story,' as she listened to the silence of the center for several ticks of the clock.

--

**Author's afterward:**

--

Oh, dear, the start of a full cornucopia of disturbing events, indeed...but, it looks like Lindsey is just as interested in Will as he is in her. The question is:

What will Will Du do to mess it up, or will he not chew on his foot too hard and break skin?

Enjoy!

--

Next, on **Birth, and Rebirth 01**_**: Will I?**_

Chapter 4: **Water plant**

Thank you, to all of you, for supporting us on this new journey.

Thanks again for reading, and please review.

--

All Rights Reserved. Kim Possible Characters © The Walt Disney Company, USA.

09/20/2008

Thanks to jakt and Star-Eva01for wonderful beta work,. Their suggestions and thoughts are timely and appreciated, as always.

--

The chapter outline for the story of one Global Justice Supervising Agent Will Du...and some one who thinks he's special, in a weird sort of way...

Chapter 1: **Find seed**

Chapter 2: **Prepare soil**

Chapter 3: **Plant seed**

Chapter 4: **Water plant**

Chapter 5: **Nurture plant**

Chapter 6: **Weed plant**

Chapter 7: **Prune plant**

Chapter 8: **Harvest plant**

Chapter 9: **Enjoy fruits of labor**

From your friendly neighborhood 'nebster.

--


	4. Chapter 4: Water plant

**Birth, and Rebirth 01**_**: Will I?**_

Disclaimer/Author's Notes: Kim Possible and all the characters of the show are owned by the Disney Company. The original lyrics to the songs referenced in this story and the music are the property of the respective authors, artists and labels. All other characters can be blamed on the author (he, however, is not responsible for all of their actions at all times, being barely responsible for himself most of the time).

This is a strictly not-for-profit, just-for-fun work.

Enjoy! Please read and review.

**A/N Forward: **

This is the tale of two individuals: how their lives unwind as they wind together, and how they intertwine with the lives of others.

A Will Du tale...

--

Chapter 4: **Water Plant**

--

"**MOMMA2!!"**

Will watched Betty wrap her arms around the red snow-covered bundle and pull it tight to her, ignoring the dripping from the snow outside.

When Betty reached up and pulled the cap from the bundle's head, a mass of reddish/brown hair came falling out, and Lindsey grinned as Betty leaned down and kissed the bundle's forehead.

"Joss?" Lindsey called, and the bundle turned at the sound.

"LINDSEY!" Joss Possible screamed and ran, grabbed Lindsey, and hugged her, dripping on her, as well.

"How's your hunk, Joss?" Lindsey asked, and Joss blushed and grinned.

"Good as gold, Lindsey: I'm a-going down to Middleton in a few weeks to see him," she grinned, and Lindsey grinned even bigger at the approaching person, holding his finger to his lips in a 'shush' motion.

"Why are ya grinning, Lindsey?" Joss asked, and she jumped as she felt a tapping on her shoulder. She turned and then demonstrated the true definition of the term "multi-tasking" as she beamed, removed her coat, and shouted all at the same time: "Wade! Why didn't you tell me you were a-comin' up?"

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I did, Sweet Tea," he replied, but further communications between the two were cancelled as two pairs of lips meshed together as their accompanying arms found each other's body.

Lindsey and Will watched as Wade and Joss hugged and kissed and both thought, at the same time, as they glanced out of the corner of their eyes at the other:

'That looks like fun: I wonder if...NAH! Well, maybe, if...'

"DTB," Betty laughed, and Joss/Wade became Joss and Wade, much to their chagrin. "There are a couple of people here that you haven't met yet," and Brady stepped forward.

"Miss Possible, Dr. Load, I'm NCIS Agent Brady Lara," he extended his hand to Joss, and Joss grinned and shook it. "Beauty always comes first, Dr. Load: you know that," and Brady offered his hand to Wade. Joss giggled as Wade, still trying to figure out if he should be mad at Joss for giggling like a crazed O-Boyz fan or mad at Brady for flirting, kept a straight face and shook Brady's hand.

Wade looked up, and Will grimaced: the young man remembered him from his encounter with Kimberly Ann. Will tried to hold back his concern as he extended his hand to Wade while, at the same time, putting his bags on the ground. Wade, again, was conflicted: he knew how angry Kim had been at Will, while at the same time Wade had a pretty good inkling of Will's position in GJ as well as Betty's opinions (sometimes voiced not-so-calmly in the presence of others), so he decided to remain calm and see what Will did.

"Dr. Load, we haven't formally met," Will began, but Wade cut him off, extending his hand and smiling.

"I know who you are, Supervising Agent Du," he shook Will's hand, but Joss gasped.

"_**You're**_ Du-Duh?" she exclaimed.

Lindsey giggled inside. 'Du-duh?' she thought. 'I have _**got**_ to know the rest of _**that**_ story,' as she listened to the silence of the center for several ticks of the clock…

--

…and, then the room erupted with laughter.

Lindsey watched Will the entire time, and she saw the hurt flash in his eyes for a moment before his normally-stoic demeanor returned as the laughter died down.

"Miss Possible," he began after the laughter totally subsided, "obviously, your cousin has spoken of me."

"Nah, I just read the reports," Joss replied with a grin. "You're lucky Cousin Kim didn't stomp your hiney into the ground with your comments about her: I shore would have."

"Joss!" Wade tried to interrupt, but Will didn't let her go.

"I see," Will muttered: "_more_ amateurs," he said in a voice that was level and calm yet filled with disdain. Then, he turned and walked away without another word, his eyes showing a pain that was deep for a heartbeat before they returned to their normal cool gaze as he moved past Lindsey.

Betty started to call out for him to stop, but she noticed Lindsey was giving her a look that begged her not to stop him. Betty looked squarely at Lindsey and could tell that, somehow, Lindsey had seen something in Will's eyes that Betty had missed. Betty could guess what she had seen in Will's eyes, as she had seen it herself when Will had given her his report on the mission that Will had completed with Team Possible, specifically based on Will's comments about Kim.

Instead, Betty turned, faced Brady, and gave giving him a nod and then a flick of her head in Will's direction. Brady nodded his understanding and began to move as he heard Will punch the exit, the main exterior Bunker door open, and then the door slam shut with a _whoosh_ as Will left the building.

--

Brady found Will slamming snowballs into the Bunker's reinforced exterior wall in rapid-fire fashion, each snowball striking inside a small square drawn on the outside wall. The snowballs each struck with a loud splat! But, no sound appeared to come from Will. Brady watched Will's mouth move as he fired snowball after snowball, over and over again.

Brady walked up to his friend, and he heard what Will was whispering, and it shocked him:

"Keri, why?" came from his lips, almost silently, each time he fired a snowball into the wall.

Brady reached out and touched Will on the shoulder to get his attention…

…and blocked Will's roundhouse kick with his forearm as Will growled and swung around.

"Dang, man, you nearly took my head off!" Brady rubbed his arm, sore from Will's strike.

Will stared at Brady and suddenly realized what he had done. "Man, I'm sorry," he apologized, and Brady waved him off.

"Hey, man, no problem; I've just never seen you like that before, that's all. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Brady," Will…smiled? Brady had never seen _**that**_ side of him before. "Just working out some old demons, that's all."

"Demons?"

"Long story, Brady," Will fired the final snowball at the wall.

"Nice firing pattern," Brady commented as he took a closer look at the square on the wall. "You never went outside of the square on, how many…?"

"50 shots," Will replied.

"And, of course you'd have kept track of them," Brady laughed, and Will smiled.

"Of course," Will said, and they both laughed.

"Man, it's cold as blazes out here, and you don't have a coat on," Brady commented, and Will realized that his coat was back in his bag…in the Bunker room he had just left.

"Snap," he muttered, and he turned and walked briskly back for the door, followed by a fast-walking Brady.

--

No one commented when Will picked up his bags, but there was a note on them:

"Agent Du:

"I don't know what that was about, but you can explain later if you'd like.

"I'm worried about you.

"We went to the house after dropping our things off in our rooms downstairs. One of the agents will show you the way.

"Commander Peterson."

The script was soft, and Will lifted the note and sniffed:

'Even her hair smell," Will whispered and grinned, folded the note carefully, and placed it in his left rear pant pocket.

"Can I help you, Agent Du?" a feminine voice, and Will turned.

"Agent Casey?"

Rebecca Jane smiled. "You remembered me: good. I wasn't certain if you did."

"How could he forget someone as lovely as you?" Brady interjected, and Rebecca Jane turned to him with a knowing smile.

"Brady Lara," she grinned, "your rep precedes you," and Brady winced as several of the agents there chuckled.

"Let me show you to the residences, and you'll find the entourage in the Main House," Rebecca Jane smiled, and Will and Brady each picked up their bags and followed her to the elevators and downstairs to the rooms. They deposited their belongings in one of the bunk rooms, Will retrieved his coat from his bag, slipped it on as they left the room, and they headed back upstairs and out of the Bunker toward the house.

"I heard you met Joss," Rebecca Jane said casually, and Brady waited for the explosion.

What he got was entirely unexpected:

"Yes, I did, and I owe her an apology," was Will's reply, and Brady almost tripped over his own footprints and fell in the snow.

"Good," was all that she said before they reached the house. Rebecca Jane opened the door, and all three entered the kitchen.

Will stopped after just a few steps into the room when Brady walked into him: he had been following a bit too close, wanting to get inside quickly from the biting wind and cold and didn't stop in time.

"Man, what's up?" Brady asked, and Will turned with a huge smile on his face.

"This kitchen: it's...it's wonderful!" Will exclaimed.

"It's just a kitchen," Brady replied as he moved around Will, followed by Rebecca Jane.

"No, man, it's much more," Will turned back toward the room and smiled as he looked at the almost-new huge kitchen.

"...and, this is the kitchen that we use for the house and for special events," Slim said as he entered. "It's big but, then agin, mah ranch hands are mostly grad students, and their appetites...well, let's just say the buffalo ain't safe when they're hungry," he laughed, and then he was quiet as the rest of the party entered the kitchen: Betty, Lindsey, Wade, and Joss. The group stopped, and Betty looked at Will.

He stepped forward and walked to Joss. "Miss Possible, my actions earlier were not in the spirit of a Global Justice agent. I hope you will accept my apology."

"Ah accept, Mr. Du: Ah have a bad habit of sometimes opening mah mouth before the brain kicks into gear."

"Sometimes?" Wade chuckled, and Joss turned and glared at him for a moment, then turned back and stuck her hand out to Will. Will took it and shook it, earning a smile-hint from Betty.

"Are you all raght, Mr. Du? You seemed a bit bumfuzzled when you left in a huff," Joss asked, honestly concerned.

Will didn't disappoint.

"It's none of your concern, Miss Possible: it involves matters that you couldn't _possibly_ understand," Will smiled, and he released her hand, turned to face Slim, and continued before Joss had a chance to explode.

"Sir, may I ask how many 16-ounce steaks can you grill at one time on this surface?" Will asked. "At first glance, I estimated 40."

"Good eye, son: 42, to be precise," Slim replied. He saw Joss out of the corner of his eye and had responded before she had a chance to explode.

"I'm assuming that, with the configuration I see, you're maxing at 900 degrees Fahrenheit for your top searing temp, correct?"

Slim laughed. "You're dead on, son. Have you been cheating and looking at mah specs?"

"No, sir: my parents taught me to be as self-sufficient as possible," and Joss stifled her laugh, mainly because Wade had slapped his hand across her mouth. "Mom taught me to sew and iron, and Dad taught me to how to shoot a gun and cook practically anything I shot," Will smiled as he finished with a grin.

"We may just have to test that out doin' some huntin', son," Slim replied, and Lindsey breathed a sigh of relief. "That is, if you aren't a target shooter," Slim smiled, and Betty visibly flinched.

"Expert marksman," Will grinned.

"First recipient of the Navy Marksmanship Medal, Expert device, and the last recipient of the Navy Distinguished Marksman Ribbon, both using the M1 Garand, son," Slim retorted, and Betty grinned. She was getting to know more and more about her cowboy, and she liked what she was learning.

"We'll save it for another day, then, sir," Will gave Slim a quick bow, and Lindsey took a deep breath.

"Betty, when are you meeting with the new nurse prospect?" Slim asked. "Ah just wanted to know if I needed another plate for dinner tonight."

"She's coming in tomorrow, Slim," Betty smiled.

"She?" Lindsey asked.

"Yes," Betty grinned. "I found a gem, and C. P. won't even interview her: he claims he's a doctor, not an HR manager. Well, Anne agreed to conference in with me, and I expect we'll hire her and let C. P. figure out how to do her reviews after she's here."

"Betty, you're evil," Lindsey laughed. "Are you certain you didn't understudy with Claudia Rose?"

Betty's Blueberry vibrated before she could respond, and she pulled it out, looked at it, and smiled.

"The candidate: she's in early: she checked the weather and flew in today. She's in town at the 'El Septupa', and she'll drive to the ranch in the morning so I won't have to send anyone in to get her," Betty smiled. "She's a planner, and she's considerate of others: she's got the job, and I'm convinced Anne will think the same thing when she reads the email."

"Ah'll put an extra plate for breakfast/brunch," Slim replied.

Betty's Blueberry vibrated again; she pulled it out, looked at it, but this time no smile came.

"Snap," she muttered. "Anne's tied up at the hospital, and she didn't get the copy of the candidate's resume that I sent her, so she won't be here tomorrow or able to conference in. I'll have to go it alone; this should be a short interview, then," she smiled to herself.

"I'd better get started with Rebecca Jane, Dr. Director: with your permission, of course," Will said, and Betty nodded in reply. She watched Brady follow Will and Rebecca Jane out of the kitchen.

"With your permission, Dr. Director," Lindsey said, and Betty nodded to her, as well. Lindsey followed the threesome out of the kitchen.

"She's got it bad," Joss whispered.

"Who?" Wade asked.

'Men: clueless to the end,' Joss thought as she watched Lindsey walk out. 'Will, and Lindsey? Claudia Rose would have him for lunch,' she grinned.

"What's got you grinning, Joss?" Wade asked.

"Nuthin,'" she replied.

--

**Author's afterward:**

--

Will has demons? This is not good…

And, Keri?

Enjoy!

--

Next, on **Birth, and Rebirth 01**_**: Will I?**_

Chapter 5: **Nurture plant**

Thank you, to all of you, for supporting us on this new journey.

Thanks again for reading, and please review.

--

The chapter outline for the story of one Global Justice Supervising Agent Will Du...and some one who thinks he's special, in a weird sort of way...

Chapter 1: **Find seed**

Chapter 2: **Prepare soil**

Chapter 3: **Plant seed**

Chapter 4: **Water plant**

Chapter 5: **Nurture plant**

Chapter 6: **Weed plant**

Chapter 7: **Prune plant**

Chapter 8: **Harvest plant**

Chapter 9: **Enjoy fruits of labor**

From your friendly neighborhood 'nebster.

--

All Rights Reserved. Kim Possible Characters © The Walt Disney Company, USA.

10/24/2008

Thanks to jakt and Star-Eva01for wonderful beta work; their suggestions and thoughts are timely and appreciated, as always.

--


	5. Chapter 5: Nurture plant

**Birth, and Rebirth 01**_**: Will I?**_

Disclaimer/Author's Notes: Kim Possible and all the characters of the show are owned by the Disney Company. The original lyrics to the songs referenced in this story and the music are the property of the respective authors, artists and labels. All other characters can be blamed on the author (he, however, is not responsible for all of their actions at all times, being barely responsible for himself most of the time).

This is a strictly not-for-profit, just-for-fun work.

Enjoy! Please read and review.

**A/N Forward: **

This is the tale of two individuals: how their lives wind and unwind as they twist and turn together, and how their lives both intertwine and fuse with the lives of others, creating relationships that last for...well, that last for a lifetime, and for more than eternity itself.

I apologize for the delay in updating: Will can take a lot of thought.

A Will Du tale...

--

Chapter 5: **Nurture plant**

--

The weeks went by quickly for Will, but he wasn't really paying attention to the passage of time.

His attention was on something else; or, more precisely, _someone_ else: a certain Navy Commander who had his full attention: physically, mentally and something else, too, but he just couldn't put his finger on it… or why.

He only saw her infrequently, him being on assignments and her at the office and the Bunker, but every time was a treat for him.

And, for the life of him, that very joy simultaneously vexed him so.

He sat in his apartment, meditating at his shrine to his ancestors, when he realized:

'I really like her, and I've been avoiding her all this time!'

He jumped up in surprise: he would have sworn he felt Shego slap him in the back and heard her laughing over his shoulder, saying "D'OI!"

'Dinner,' he thought: 'I'll make dinner for her', and he began to plan.

--

Lindsey received the email, read it in disbelief, and printed it off. She got up and walked down the hall, pausing to knock on the door frame of the office of Global Justice Agent Rebecca Jane Casey.

Rebecca Jane looked up, grinned, and motioned for Lindsey to come in as she closed down the video conference that was just ending. "What's up, Linds?"

"Will," she responded, and Rebecca Jane cringed.

"He sent me an email from his Blueberry, asking me to come over. He said he would cook for me!" Lindsey continued, and Rebecca Jane was silent for a few moments…

…and then she laughed out loud, long and hard: long enough that Lindsey began to become annoyed.

"It's about damn time," Rebecca Jane finally said when she quit laughing and only after Lindsey looked at her with a looked that promised years of pain and torture.

"Linds, can't you tell?" Rebecca Jane laughed. "That boy has it bad for you. The only question on the table now is how long it'll take him to screw it up and drive you away," she added.

'Never,' Lindsey thought and thought hard, but then she processed the past weeks' information and comments from the rest of her girlfriends like the entire array of GJ computers working on an end-game scenario: 'Whoa, Will likes **ME**?' She smiled inside.

Rebecca Jane swore she saw little wisps of steam coming from Lindsey's ears for a few seconds before she continued. "You mean, you never realized…." She stared at Lindsey in shock. "GF, we may have to suspend your woman's intuition license if you never caught him sniffing around you."

"Well," Lindsey blushed, and Rebecca Jane caught it immediately. She leaned back in her chair and let loose another healthy laugh. "Well, I'll be…you've got it bad for little Willie, don't you?" She asked with an accusatory wag of a finger.

"He is super-de-lish," Lindsey began, and then she slapped her hand over her mouth in horror before she could complete the sentence, but it was too late.

"Oh, a 'Will Du' burger?" Rebecca Jane smiled. "'Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce,'" Rebecca Jane sang, and Lindsey growled. "Watch yourself, Linds, or you'll end up 'Lindsey Du,'" she chuckled.

The thought of becoming Lindsey Peterson Du ran through her mind for a nanosecond, but it took up residence next to a large internal smile of happiness. 'It could happen,' she thought.

--

Lindsey stood in front of the apartment door, holding a bottle, more nervous than she had ever been in her life, she though. For someone who had not ever sweated (well, except for her sessions in the Bunker workout rooms), she felt soaked to the bone right now.

'Why am I nervous?' she asked herself. "It's just a date," she said to herself and punched the doorbell, shattering the inner mechanism and the button with the force of her finger, not noticing.

--

Will was finishing the table setting when the doorbell rang, and he smiled. 'She really came,' he thought, 'it wasn't just a joke to her,' he added as he walked out of the dining area and into the living room. He glanced at the soccer match, turned off the television, and touched the sound remote to start up his music mix: soft, soothing, relaxing, and perfect for the meal.

He glance at himself in the mirror, brushed away a stray hair from his shirt, turned, and opened the door.

She was there.

She was beautiful

She was a goddess…no, she was a Valkyrie, come to take him to Valhalla.

He was in love, forever.

He felt his jaw drop through the ground, and he would have sworn he heard angels singing….

--

The door opened, and she looked at him.

He was there.

He was handsome.

He was a Greek God, sent from the heavens above to Earth for her, and her alone.

She was madly, head-over-heels, kill-me-now, in love...

…and, of that she was certain.

Her mentally-subdued hormones lost control, and the physical hormones kicked into super-high gear, causing a train wreck of epic proportions between the mental and the physical opposing forces.

--

The silence lasted for only a few seconds, but to each of them it was an eternity.

--

Will broke the silence first with a semi-forced smile. "Good evening, Commander Peterson." He decided that he smile would be a better idea than his other one…and he mentally grinned inside at _that_ thought.

"Lindsey, please," she smiled, "or we'll spend all evening with me calling you 'Supervising Agent Du'."

Will was in even worse shape, and it was because of that smile, among other reasons, but especially her smile. He felt both of his legs begin to quiver, and he steadied himself against the door frame in a relaxed manner. "Would… would you like to come in?" he asked, attempting to be suave.

"Yes," she smiled once again, and then she sniffed and smiled even bigger. "I'm glad I brought the burgundy: it smells like that's the only thing that could handle your dinner," she handed him the chilled bottle in the paper bag as she stepped forward. He backed up a bit and allowed her to enter as he took the bottle.

She immediately surveyed the surroundings and smiled inwardly. This was not a typical bachelor pad: it was the home of a gentleman with minimalist, but exquisite taste. No dead or dying college futon resided here: in its place was a high-end tasteful tanned leather sofa and love seat combination. The television in the room was a wall-mounted flat-panel set, most likely a 42-inch model. The floor was bamboo: eco-friendly. Size-appropriate pictures tastefully graced the walls. All of the lighting was recessed, and she could hear music playing softly in the background. 'He's either been in my MePod, or he likes much of the same music that I do,' she thought as she stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the table setting.

She glanced to the side at Will and what he was wearing and then looked back at the table setting, and she realized that this was most definitely a person of style. The tablecloth was black, and the china dishes on it were a stark white. The napkins were a burgundy, and the two tall lit tapers stood watch over the table, their white-and-burgundy stripes blending rather than being obtrusive.

Will, she had noticed when she glanced at him, was wearing black slacks, his GJ black boots shined to perfection, a stark white starched shirt with a burgundy tie containing a tiny red stripe in it, crossing from right downward to left.

To take her mind from her 'Prince in distress and rescuing princess' mode, she casually asked as she turned to face him, "So, Will: what's for dinner?"

Will just stared, and Lindsey took her hand, placing it under his chin and gently pushed it upward. With a wry smile, she chided him: 'my eyes are up here, Agent Du."

"It's...it's the dress," he stammered, 'and what's inside,' he thought with an angelic/devilish grin. "It's beautiful, and I never would have imagined that it would have worked as well as it does on you...but, I suppose," he added with a smile, "that anything on you would work," 'and off of you, as well,' he finished the sentence in his mind.

"Why, thank you, kind sir," Lindsey awkwardly grinned, while her GJ training for dealing with these types of distractions and situations began melting away her resolve into nothingness.

Will was shocked and very pleasantly surprised at her attire, mainly because she wore a dress that he could not imagine any female GJ agent wearing. The floral print was a base white, and the pastel flowers were multiple shades of orange, medium green, pale blue, red, and yellow flowers that covered the dress in no set pattern, but still allowed the base white to come through. The dress was held on Lindsey's shoulders by red-and-white spaghetti straps, and gave Will all sorts of ideas that were unbecoming an officer and a gentleman in Global Justice or the military. The dress had a tie in the back, he remembered from being behind her, and the back itself scooped under her well-formed shoulders and upper back area.

The pleating at her waist was horizontal, and it was an empire waist, he realized. The lower hem fell just above her knees, and tulle came about an inch past the dress hem, giving the hint of the dress floating above her legs. He grinned inside: most men would have no idea of empire waists or of tulle, but his older sister and mother had both taught him when he was younger…'and, before Sis left,' the sad thought popped into his head for a moment but quickly passed.

Her shoulders, and her neck...Will wanted to become a slave to those beautifully sculpted shoulders, and what he wanted to do with her neck….well, he grinned and offered her his hand while mentally slapping himself silly. She certainly wasn't that sort of girl, and he knew it. She was something more…refined: that vexed him so and, simultaneously, turned his hormones upside down.

"I hope you're hungry, though I can't see where you could put any food in that dress," he smiled as he led her to her seat at the table, pulling the chair out with one hand while motioning to it with the other. After she sat, he took her napkin, fluffed it, and placed it in her lap with the style and grace of a maître-d' with long years of practice, leaning over and discreetly smelling her.

'Delicious' was his thought as he lifted his head and smiled, and she smiled back at him. He took that smile into the kitchen as he headed for the stove, reaching for his cooking attire as he closed the kitchen door.

--

Lindsey remembered the smell of his hair when he leaned over to place the napkin in her lap, and she was certain that he was trying to get a good look at 'the girls' on the way back up, and that pleased her. She was, in her opinion, nowhere near as developed as Rebecca Jane or Betty, but she felt comfortable with what she had. The fact that he was trying to look… that made her smile inside.

She sniffed again, and she smelled the wonderful smells of that last trip she'd taken to New Orleans, Louisiana, after Hurricane Katrina, with her mentor, Admiral Claudia Rose English. They had gone down on a commercial flight on both work and a well-deserved break. The Admiral had explained her rationale for flying a commercial carrier to Lindsey on the flight down: "Lindsey, these people have paid taxes for us to be able to work. It's the least we can do to spend some of our own money, not taxpayer funds, to help these folk get back on their feet." That comment was one more reason that Lindsey was certain that Claudia Rose was destined for sainthood: she tipped everyone at least 30 per cent, and the street musicians that she found and that had suffered her singing along with them each got a US 100-dollar bill from her. She was certain that she saw several of the wait-staff at the hotel crying when they checked out.

But, it was that special dish that Claudia Rose had introduced her to, that thing she called 'jambalaya', that turned Lindsey on to Cajun cuisine. The chef, it turned out, was a personal friend of the Admiral, and he came out of the kitchen to greet the Admiral with a kiss on the check. He then followed up by introducing himself to Lindsey and kissing her hand; she was not quite prepared him or that at the time, but had since seen him do several times on his shows and guest appearances on others on the 'Chow Channel.'

The chef quickly escorted them, much to the envious looks of several patrons in the restaurant, to the Chef's Table, just inside the kitchen door and talked with them as he personally made their jambalaya. Lindsey remembered laughing when he used his signature "_**POW!**_" as he topped the final dish with the chopped parsley and served it will all of the flare that he was famous for. Then, he surprised her once again as he pulled up another chair and joined them for dinner, keeping a steady conversation going with the Admiral and herself… well, he and the Admiral ate, while Lindsey moaned with pleasure and delight with every smell and bite, much to the chef's delight and the Admiral's amusement.

It was those smells that came to mind as she sat, and Will rolled through the kitchen door singing:

"Roux, Roux, Roux your cart, gently through the door….merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, you will want lots more," he sang, and she couldn't help but laugh at his song and with him for his singing.

"I hope you like Cajun," he smiled as he lifted the lid on the huge serving dish, and Lindsey's smile let Will know he'd hit the mark as he lifted the lid of the dish containing the dirty rice and began to plate dinner for the both of them. He opened the wine bottle, allowed her to sniff the cork, poured a swirl for her approval, and served her a half-glass before he poured his and sat down, across the table from her.

--

"Will, where did you learn to cook like this?" she asked halfway through the second dish of jambalaya and dirty rice.

"GJ sent me to culinary school for a few months to prepare for a mission, Lindsey," he replied. "I studied with several head chefs before I went undercover for four months. That, plus my mom's training at the stove, served me well."

"It shows," she took another forkful. "This reminds me of a meal I had at the 'Legacy', down in the Quarter."

"It should," he smiled. "I studied with him," he added, and Lindsey dropped her fork, bringing a small smile to his face

"Do you use a Dutch oven?" She asked, lifting her fork and taking another bite as he shook his head 'no'.

"He told me that it wasn't jambalaya unless it was started and finished in a large iron pot," he grinned. "He also told me it should always be done outdoors or over a wood-burning fire, but I was all out of wooded areas in the parking lot, so I did it indoors," he laughed.

"I took his four large yellow onions and turned it into three large yellow and one large white for the contrast," he explained, and Lindsey unknowingly leaned forward to listen. "I cut up one whole chicken and browned the pieces and the sausage together, then added the ham for the last minute. Then, I removed the meat into a large pan and cooked down the onions and garlic, being careful not to burn them. After they were done, I added back the chicken and sausage and enough water to cover the entire creation. I seasoned, liberally with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes to taste and let the dish simmer until the meats were done; and then, I added the two chopped bell and three chopped banana peppers, and then added the chopped green onions.

'After stirring just a bit," he grinned, "I added the rice and continued the simmer for another 15 minutes before I began to bring the bottom contents to the surface in a large single turnover of the food to make certain that nothing sticks to or burns at the bottom of the pan. I added the two pounds of shrimp and the ham while stirring in the rice, and everything was done when the water is all cooked out of the rice.

"I like my jambalaya meaty; that's why I served the dirty rice underneath it. It's a good combination, in my opinion," he leaned back in his chair and smiled, then let out an uncharacteristically-loud _**"BUUUUUUUUUUUURP!"**_

Lindsey giggled.

"Excuse me," Will smiled.

"This was delicious, and so was your description of your cooking," Lindsey said, then grew quiet for a moment, listening to the music.

"I love this song: would you like to dance?" She asked him, standing up and walking around the table to his seat and holding out her hand.

"Normally, I do the asking, but normally I don't do the cooking, so," he grinned, taking her hand and standing. She pulled him into the living room.

Will knew that Lindsey was taller, but he hadn't been this close before, and his head was right at the level with her beautiful, creamy shoulders. She pulled him in close, he leaned his head onto her shoulder, and they danced…well, more swayed than dance.

--

She felt his strong arms wrapped around her, and she knew she was loved.

--

He tasted her shoulder, and he knew he was hooked.

--

He looked up into those eyes.

She looked down into his eyes.

--

Faces marched toward each other, and their lips touched tentatively, and then with the certainty of the sunrise the man and woman kissed passionately….

--

The shared kiss drained all of the poisons of failed relationships from one person to the other, and their shared pain diminished it for both of them. Their hands held the other tightly, as if they were afraid that the other was a dream….

--

Lindsey opened her eyes a bit and saw that Will was smiling more than she had ever seen him do so. She was happy, and she knew she wanted to spend more time with him…and more quality time, as well.

"Oh, William," she whispered, her voice filled with emotion and with something that seemed to come from deep inside. She realized that there was an empty place in her heart that, somehow, she could sense he could fill, could heal. Closing her eyes and opening herself more then she thought she could, she pulled him closer.

--

Will heard the words, heard something in her voice calling to him, calling to a part of him that was empty, a part that he had walled off from everything and everyone, years ago.

Two words, spoken with such feeling, such emotion: two words that called out to that walled-off place inside his soul, and brought forth the same two words, said with the same feeling, the same emotions…but in a different voice. Hearing those words inside his own heart, inside his own mind, snapped Will's eyes open, and he stared in horror at the person in his arms.

She used to call him that.

HHe lived to her say that…

...but this wasn't her.

He was evil.

He didn't deserve her.

He didn't deserve Lindsey.

He was a monster, and he was not worthy of either of them.

--

He managed to pry her arms from around him, and Lindsey's eyes opened in surprise at the unexpected action to see Supervising Agent Will Du from the office standing there in front of her, not the kind and gentle Will Du who had just finished cooking for her.

"Lindsey, I'm sorry, but you have to leave," he said, his voice was calm but somewhat cold, as he hurried her toward the front door and, opening it, guided her out. "Thank you for a wonderful evening," and he slammed and locked the door behind her.

--

"What the…?" she said, and then she heard a frightening sound from through the door:

--

Will faced the closed door then suddenly slammed his head against it twice with enough force to dent it on the side facing him. Turning, he pressed his back to the door as he slowly slid to the floor, tears pouring from his eyes. Once sitting on the floor, he again slammed the door, this time with the back of his head, leaving a matching dent to the one he had just made above.

He sat, slowly pulling his legs up, wrapping his arms around his knees, and Will Du…

….began to sob uncontrollably:

"Keri, I'm sorry…

"Keri, I'm sorry…

"Keri, I didn't forget you…I'm sorry…

"Keri, please forgive me…"

He turned his head skyward and, at the top of his lungs, yelled:

"_**Keri, I miss you so!**_"

…and his sobs continued for several minutes as he rocked back and forth on one side of the door, not knowing that someone was listening.

--

On the other side of the door, Lindsey listened in horror to Will's sounds, trying to decide if she should go in after him or not.

Finally, she made her decision and reached into the concealed pouch at the waist of her dress. Pulling out her cell, she opened it, hit speed-dial seven, and lifted the phone to her ear as she walked away from the door, the sobs getting softer as she walked further away and her own tears coming down even harder with each step.

"Dr. Director? It's Lindsey. Do you have some time?" Silence, then…"Where are you?" Lindsey grimaced, but she headed for the room at the end of the hall. "I'll be at the Bunker in 15 minutes."

She stepped into the room after palming the concealed reader, and the room lit up, revealing the tube entrance.

"Yes, it's about Will, Betty," Lindsey said through her own sobs. "I'm afraid I've hurt him deeply, and _**I don't know what I did!**_" she shouted as she stepped into the tube and headed for Montana.

--

04/17/2009

Thanks to jakt and Star-Eva01for wonderful beta work; their suggestions and thoughts are timely and appreciated, as always.

Friendships we'd all like to have, possess, and nurture forever that stand the test of time, and are unconditional: that describes both Lindsey and Will, and it describes my feelings for my wonderful betas.

--

The chapter outline for the story of one Global Justice Supervising Agent Will Du, and someone who thinks he's special, in a weird sort of way.

Chapter 1: **Find seed**

Chapter 2: **Prepare soil**

Chapter 3: **Plant seed**

Chapter 4: **Water plant**

Chapter 5: **Nurture plant**

Chapter 6: **Weed plant**

Chapter 7: **Prune plant**

Chapter 8: **Harvest plant**

Chapter 9: **Enjoy fruits of labor**

From your friendly neighborhood 'nebster.

--

for Commander Argus...Calm seas, and prosperous voyages, my friend. May you dance with the angels.

--


	6. Chapter 6: Weed plant

**Birth, and Rebirth 01**_**: Will I?**_

Disclaimer/Author's Notes: Kim Possible and all the characters of the show are owned by the Disney Company. The original lyrics to the songs referenced in this story and the music are the property of the respective authors, artists and labels. All other characters can be blamed on the author (he, however, is not responsible for all of their actions at all times, being barely responsible for himself most of the time).

This is a strictly not-for-profit, just-for-fun work.

Enjoy! Please read and review.

**A/N Forward: **

This is the tale of two individuals: how their lives wind and unwind as they twist and turn together, and how their lives both intertwine and fuse with the lives of others, creating relationships that last for...well, that last for a lifetime, and for more than eternity itself.

I'm back on a 'Will'-ing writing schedule....

A Will Du tale...

--

Chapter 6: **Weed plant **

--

On the other side of the door, Lindsey listened in horror to Will's sobs, each ripping at Lindsey's heart and soul in a way that she'd never imagined, trying to decide if she should go in after him or not.

Finally, she made her decision and reached into the concealed pouch at the waist of her dress. Pulling out her cell, she opened it, hit speed-dial seven, and lifted the phone to her ear as she walked away from the door, the sobs getting softer as she walked further away and her own tears coming down even harder with each step.

"Dr. Director? It's Lindsey. Do you have some time?" Silence, then… before Lindsey could ask "Where are you?" she had her response.

"Be at the Bunker in 15," Dr. Director said. Lindsey grimaced, but she headed for the room at the end of the hall anyway, gasping, amazed and crying simultaneously. It had only taken 3 seconds for Dr. Director to diagnosis that she was in a sitch not of her choosing, and it vexed her so….

She stepped into the room after palming the concealed reader, and the room lit up, revealing the tube entrance.

"Yes, it's about Will, Betty," Lindsey said through her own sobs. "I'm afraid I've hurt him deeply, and _**I don't know what I did!**_" she shouted as she stepped into the tube and headed for Montana.

--

Doctor Elizabeth Director accessed the GJ personnel system and initiated a scan for information, found the reference, clicked on it, and then pulled up the file on Willa and her husband Vincent James Quermasse, both deceased. She read for a moment, touched her headset, assimilated all of the data she had consumed, and then spoke.

"Connect Lieutenant Jacqueline Capperson," she said and waited for a few clicks for the connection to be established. She re-started her reading of the article from a local newspaper regarding the accident that was referenced in the file. She stopped her reading when she heard the soft 'ping' in her ear that announced the connection.

"Jackie? Betty. Can you meet me in my office in 18 minutes? And, bring your bag: this could get interesting," she smiled and touched her headset, disconnecting the call.

She re-scanned the article, printed it, and pulled out an empty folder from her desk drawer, placing the printout in it and placing both at the bottom right-hand side of her desk.

She leaned back in her chair, closing her eye and smiling.

She was able to get a rare 13-minute power nap in before the silent alarm went off, telling her that Lindsey was inbound.

--

Will finally lifted his head from his bowed and sobbing position, and he realized that the back of his head hurt for some reason. Then he remembered why, and he turned to look at the door.

A matching set, a pair of deep dents was now embedded in his composite/steel door. 'I guess I _did_ leave a mark,' he thought with a chuckle, but he was surprised when he reached up and placed his hand on the back of his head and it came back dry.

He looked at his watch: 15 minutes has passed since he had…

"Oh, snap!" he shouted, standing up quickly.

That was not a wise decision as the effects of his mild concussion overtook him; he wobbled several times before he made it the three feet to the love seat and fell into it, hard.

"I ran her off," he said to no one, staring at the still-burning remains of the candle tapers at the dinner table.

"Stupid, _Stupid_, _**Stupid**_, Will!" he yelled, staring at the wall. He reached over blindly, grabbed the remote, and punched a seemingly-random combination of keys. The wall above the television split in half, slid soundlessly open, and revealed a pair of large, framed pictures.

On the right was a picture of him, much younger, an arm wrapped around a young woman. Both appeared to be 14 or 15 years old, a scrawny Will lovingly holding a zaftig young woman, full-figured and well-proportioned, with long blond hair and glasses that framed her strikingly-blue eyes, her head seemingly supported by his shoulder. She was, based on the stereotypical runway model definition, by no means beautiful, but she knew that he thought she was: the smile on her face as she looked at him left no doubt that she was confident of his love for her.

Next to it was a picture of an older couple, the woman looking very much like a relative of his. Her face belied the dour expression that he usually had, the smile shining through the photograph. Long, dark hair framed her face, and her figure was obviously one of the reasons that the young man with her was smiling as he held her. Their smiles confirmed for the entire world their love for each other: of that, anyone seeing the photograph would be certain.

Will stood slowly, making sure he had his balance, and walked over to the picture on the right. Stopping in front of it, he lifted his right hand to his lips, gently kissed his fingertips, and placed the kiss on the young woman's lips.

"I'll always love you, Keri, but I think _she_ is the one," he said softly, his tears starting to fall again. "No, I _know_ she is the one: I just hope I didn't screw it up," he whispered, his tears falling harder.

He stood at the picture for a minute, then went back to the table and began to clear the remains, stopping to pick up Lindsey's wine glass and smiled at the lipstick print.

--

The knock on the door was hurried, anxious.

Betty knew that Lindsey had arrived. "Come in, Lindsey," she smiled, and Lindsey entered and saluted.

Betty stood and returned the salute, then came around her desk and hugged her. "Will, huh?" she smiled, guiding her to a seat at the round work table in the office.

"Yes, Betty," Lindsey began, and Betty saw that her eyes were bloodshot from crying, 'probably all the way in the tube,' she thought.

"Betty," she continued, ducking her head a bit, "I thought everything was going so well: Will made me a wonderful dinner, we started to dance, and I said 'Oh, William,' and he pushed me out of his apartment, and he slammed the door, and I heard him banging his head on the steel front door and sobbing.

"Betty," she lifted her head, and Betty saw fresh tears, "what did I do wrong?"

A firm knock at the door, and Lindsey turned as it opened.

The woman she saw walk into the room, she was sure, was related to Kim and Joss: She was slim, statuesque, a natural redhead, her natural beauty shining though her smile, and her legs were the legs that would put Ron, Wade, Will, Brady, plus all of the guys she'd dated into cardiac arrest. 'Built like a Baccarat vase: strong, slim, and beautiful, all rolled together in one wondrous vessel,' Lindsey grinned inside, 'I wish I looked that good,' she added as she stood to reply to the salute.

"Lindsey, this is Lieutenant Jacqueline Capperson, R.N., new on the GJ staff, reporting to Dr. Adams," Betty began, and Lindsey laughed.

"Poor Dr. Adams, and poor, poor Wade," Lindsey laughed, and Jackie and Betty looked at each other before they burst into laughter.

"They're both doomed," Betty laughed, "and in so, so many different ways, too," she doubled over, and Lindsey and Jackie joined her in their salute to the gentlemen who didn't know what was about to happen to them.

"'But, that's not important,'" Jackie replied stoically after she calmed down, and Lindsey giggled when Jackie gave her a stage wink.

Jackie took a seat at the table as Betty continued to speak. "Lindsey, Jackie, in her past life before she became a nurse, was an insurance agent. One of her policies was with a couple that died in the Midwest in a horrible accident," and Jackie sat up.

"That was _no_ accident, ma'am," Jackie interrupted Betty. "Their brake lines were cut, and it was after he had testified at a major case and before he could be cross-examined, so his testimony had to be tossed. I told my boss what I'd found in my investigation, and he warned me not to mention it if I didn't want the same thing to happen to me. He was trying to protect me, but I didn't want to hear his excuses.

"That was what made me decide to get out of the business: I wanted to help people, and I was being told not to," she continued.

"Tell her the identities, Jackie," Betty ordered.

"Willa and her husband Vincent James Quermasse," she replied, and Betty looked at her with a strange look, Lindsey thought. She was sure she saw Jackie gulp and add:

"Willa Du Quermasse," Jackie added, and Lindsey gulped.

"Will's older sister, Lindsey," Betty added.

"But, who's Keri?" Lindsey asked, and both women looked at her, perplexed.

--

Will looked at the lipstick print and took the glass to the kitchen, opening a cabinet and placing the glass inside. He then went back to the table and removed the dishes, placing them all in the dishwasher. He placed the remaining food in storage dishes, covered them, and placed them in the refrigerator.

Only after the kitchen was completely clean and all of the pots were put away did he sit at the table and reach into his wallet, pulling out a well-loved laminated article.

"'TRAGIC LOCAL LOSS,'" he read out loud, wiping his face before the tears could get started.

"'Five captured, two dead in bank robbery attempt,'" he continued, and he stopped for a moment before continuing:

"'(Bangor, Maine) The human cost of a failed bank robbery was high in Brewer on Friday afternoon: five robbers were captured, but two were killed as a result of the attempt, including a 15-year-old girl who was in the bank with her mother and friends to open a savings account…..'" he stopped and held his head in his hands, weeping silently.

--

"Keri, who?" Betty asked, sounding perplexed.

Lindsey nodded. "That was the name he called out from the other side of the door, Betty."

"We've got to find out what's going on," Betty said, and Jackie nodded.

"This could be a serious issue in Supervising Agent Du's career, if he has someone in his background being stalked or has been hurt," Jackie continued.

"I concur: Lindsey, are you up to it?" Betty asked, and Lindsey closed her eyes to think before responding.

What she saw in her eyelids was:

Will, down on one knee, proposing to her;

Will, fully dressed in his Formal Global Justice uniform with beret and dress saber, waiting at the front of the church;

Will, holding her hand as she screamed and squeezed his, delivering a child; and

Will, sitting with her, both rocking on the front porch, their hair streaked with gray as they watched their great-grandchildren playing in the yard.

Her eyes popped open in surprise, and Betty watched as a smile grew on Lindsey's face.

'She's doomed, too,' Betty laughed inside before Lindsey spoke.

"Of course, Betty: I'm in love with the lunatic," Lindsey replied, and Jackie laughed.

"What _is_ it about the people that are around the Possibles'?" she asked. "It seems like they have a bad case of getting involved with people with deep pasts?"

"I dunno, Lieutenant," Lindsey replied with a wink and flipped her phone open.

"Agent Will Du," she said, and the number dialed.

--

Will looked up, surprised, at his cell ringing on the table. He got up and walked over to it and looked down, grimacing when he saw who the caller was:

Lindsey.

He touched a button, opening the circuit.

"Get your tail to the Bunker in the next 30 minutes if you _ever_ want to see me again," Lindsey's voice dripped acid, and then the call dropped.

"Well," he laughed, opening the cabinet door and looking at the lipstick-branded wine glass, "I guess I'd better head north," he closed his connection, removed his apron, and checked his visage in the mirror one last time before donning his windbreaker and heading out the door for the drop chute.

--

05/08/2009

Thanks to jakt, Star-Eva01, and Silvermist for wonderful beta work; their suggestions and thoughts are timely and appreciated, as always. And no, kt, the chapter title does not refer to that plant (giggle right back at'cha).

Friendships we'd all like to have, possess, and nurture forever that stand the test of time, and are unconditional: that describes both Lindsey and Will, and it describes my feelings for my wonderful betas.

--

The chapter outline for the story of one Global Justice Supervising Agent Will Du, and someone who thinks he's special, in a weird sort of way.

Chapter 1: **Find seed**

Chapter 2: **Prepare soil**

Chapter 3: **Plant seed**

Chapter 4: **Water plant**

Chapter 5: **Nurture plant**

Chapter 6: **Weed plant**

Chapter 7: **Prune plant**

Chapter 8: **Harvest plant**

Chapter 9: **Enjoy fruits of labor**

From your friendly neighborhood 'nebster.

For Commander Argus...Calm seas, and prosperous voyages, my friend. May you dance with the angels, sir.

And, for someone special: you know how I feel about you.


	7. Chapter 7: Prune plant

**Birth, and Rebirth 01**_**: Will I?**_

Disclaimer/Author's Notes: Kim Possible and all the characters of the show are owned by the Disney Company. The original lyrics to the songs referenced in this story and the music are the property of the respective authors, artists and labels. All other characters can be blamed on the author (he, however, is not responsible for all of their actions at all times, being barely responsible for himself most of the time).

This is a strictly not-for-profit, just-for-fun work.

Enjoy! Please read and review.

**A/N Forward: **

This is the tale of two individuals: how their lives wind and unwind as they twist and turn together, and how their lives both intertwine and fuse with the lives of others, creating relationships that last for...well, that last for a lifetime, and for more than eternity itself.

I'm back on a 'Will'-ing writing schedule....

A Will Du tale...

--

Chapter 7: **Prune plant**

--

"Good afternoon, Supervising Agent Du," the female voice spoke to him moments after he touched down on the Bunker tube landing pad. He did not recognize the voice, and he turned to face her.

'Where in the world did Doc Adams find her,' Will grinned inside as she stepped forward, saluting him as he stepped out of the tube. He smiled and saluted in return, but she looked familiar, somehow…he brushed the thought aside.

The nurse in front of him would definitely get Brady's attention, he thought, and his, too…if he had not already fallen, hard, for Lindsey. She was a beauty, much like Dr. Anne as a redhead, but her hair was soft, shoulder-length, worn in a ponytail style…done entirely different than Anne's, he thought. She was as tall as Anne, possibly even taller, and maybe two pounds heavier 'and, in _all_ the right places, too,' Will thought with an evil grin inside. 'She definitely has Anne's legs, and her smile, too,' he deduced, 'she's built like a fine sports car: shapely and beautiful, all rolled together in one wonderful vehicle, and ready to be taken out for a test drive,' he thought. As the 'need for speed' cross his mind, he backed off, faster than a cat on a hot tin roof in a West Texas summer. He had once ventured down that path, and he recalled a size 6 Prada, firmly launched into his backside. He unconsciously squeezed, glad she could not see him do so.

"And, you are…?"

"Lieutenant Jacqueline Capperson, R. N., Supervising Agent Du," she replied, and he knew that C. P. was in trouble: her voice was confident, certain, and most definitely that of a professional.

Will checked and breathed a sigh of relief: good, no Pradas. She wore sensible low heels, but her legs were beautiful even in them. BL (Before Lindsey entered his life), he would have imagined her in four-inch heels; now, AL (After Lindsey), he didn't even give it a second thought.

"I'll take you to the Pit to see Lindsey, Supervising Agent," she spun on her heels and headed for the elevators.

"Will, please," Will interjected, and Jackie, walking away, smiled.

'You've got a keeper, Lindsey,' she thought. "It's Jackie, then, Will," she said as they stepped into the elevator and went to the Pit floor.

"What is 'the Pit,' Jackie?" Will asked.

"The 'Fire Pit': it's where we go to relax. It's vacant at this time of day because everyone is either asleep or on shift," she said as the elevator door opened, and she led him to a door with a picture of a huge flame coming out of a can forming the words 'The Pit' in stylized flames. The door slid soundlessly open, and Will gasped.

He'd been at the Bunker before, but he'd not been in this room.

It was huge, and there was a huge open fire pit in the center of the room. The flames were leaping as the indoor breezes struck them, and the lights were low enough that all of the colors of the flame could be seen: all of the reds, yellows, oranges, blues, violets, and even the whites were visible, all dancing as if to music.

And, off to the right, she was standing, waiting.

Will gulped, and he heard the door close behind him. He turned, and he saw that Jackie had left the room, leaving him alone, with…

Lindsey.

"Will, are you all right?" her voice was music to his ears, but he wasn't ready for her tune.

"I'm fine, Lindsey," he replied nonchalantly, walking toward her and steeling his face into his 'on the job' look. He grabbed a small branch from the woodpile as he walked past it and then casually tossed it into the Pit, the flames leaping in response to the fresh food, hickory this meal, provided.

"No, you're not, Will," she challenged him with her response, and Will turned to really look at her. He could see that her face was tear-streaked; her eyes had that bloodshot look that only comes from crying so hard that your heart would hurt. As a small part of his mind made a note that he'd never seen her cry before, the larger part had only one thought: "Oh, my goodness, she's so very beautiful. God, what have I done to be so blessed, to deserve a vision such as this?'

She spoke softly, taking one more step forward towards him, saying only three words:

"Will, who's Keri?"

Three words…three simple words.

Those words were the knife, stabbing his heart repeatedly, just like a Grade-B horror movie knife-wielding psycho gone wild, carving out chucks of the heart to serve up for dinner to his unsuspecting friends while, simultaneously, taking an extra dose of extreme pleasure from the pain he was causing. As Will doubled over in agony, he cursed the part of his mind that wondered what made the sorrow and pain worse: the fact that the knife was twisting into his heart and his memories of Keri, or the fact that Lindsey was, in fact, the one with her hand unknowingly twisting the blade.

'I can't tell her, Keri,' he cried out in anguish in his head, 'it hurts too much.'

The response in his head was the shock: 'I know, my dear, sweet, William, my always love, but it's long past time for you to let me go,' she replied, and he stood straight up in shock at the voice in his head.

When Lindsey saw him double over, she took two steps toward him and stopped when she saw his hand come out to stop her, but then his whole upper body shot up and faced her. She could not stop herself from stepping back in fear.

Something wasn't right and every fiber of her being screamed out. Her self-preservation kicked into high gear, and Will could sense the panic that he was causing. He had to right the sitch fast, as a certain red-head would have said, and so he did the one thing he didn't think he could do…

he smiled.

Lindsey gasped at his response.

"It's O.K., Lindsey," he said softly, almost as a whisper. Between the smile on his face and the softness in his voice, he calmed her as he also reached out his hand to take hers.

"It's been so long, and I've never told anyone. But, then again, I've never felt like I could tell anyone who would understand…until you," he smiled and lifted her hand to his lips, gently kissing it and causing her to blush.

"It's long past time I told someone," he said, pulling her with him to a pair of ottomans about 15 feet from the fire pit, on the side away from the main entrance. He led her to one, and he pulled the other one up so it was touching hers, and then he sat tailor-style on his. Lindsey joined him, grinning and pulling her dress down over her knees as she sat, tailor-style, as well.

He smiled. "I assume that there are monitors in here, correct?" he asked, and Lindsey nodded. Getting up, she went to one wall and retrieved a remote control from a cabinet, returning to her seat after handing it to him.

"Connected to the GJ network and 'Net?" he asked, and she nodded again.

"Laptop?" Will grinned.

"You're getting greedy, Agent Du," Will turned in the direction of the voice, and a WadeBot handed him a GJ laptop. "Bon appétit," the WadeBot laughed and rolled away, heading for the exit alcove in the wall and disappearing with hardly a trace.

Will opened the laptop and smiled: it was already at the secure login page. He quickly entered his ID and password, and then he swiped his thumb over the biometric reader. The camera appeared on the screen, and he leaned in front of it. A sensor from the laptop emitted a bright green light, scanned across his left eye, and the laptop beeped.

Will entered the system, changing the system settings display on the external monitor. The monitor flickered, and Lindsey could now see his desktop. Will went to his personal storage space on the server, logging in with yet another password. A list of folders appeared, and Will clicked on the folder labeled 'WD-P'.

Working silently, Will opened the folder, selected a file, and opened it. An application appeared and started to run, producing an image that held for a second and then was followed by applause as the picture coalesced onto the monitor, and Lindsey could only stare:

She recognized the venue: the main stage for the New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, and the conductor, Sir Daniel Baxter. The soloist was a young woman, and the instrument was a surprise: a double-bass.

She didn't recall the work; but, when the young woman drew her bow across the strings for the first notes of the concerto, Lindsey recognized that she was hearing serious talent. She sat, mesmerized, as the young woman made her instrument sound like a bass, a cello, and at times a bass or an acoustic guitar.

When the work ended, Lindsey held back her impulse to applaud and glanced for the first time at Will.

His face shown with pride, love, and the moisture of the tears he had been shedding, Lindsey supposed, since the playback began.

He paused it when the camera zoomed in on the young woman's face, beaming into the camera, her brilliant blue eyes, shining.

"That's Keri," Will said so softly that Lindsey almost didn't hear him, "or, at least, that was Keri.

"Keri Jacobson," he whispered, and then he stood, turning to face Lindsey, his voice now stronger and more confident. "Keri Innes Jacobson, Lindsey, the first woman I ever loved, and the only woman I ever wanted to spend the rest of my life with," he stated with such determination that Lindsey wanted to… she wasn't sure _what_ she wanted to do.

"Why didn't you, Will?" she asked, managing to keep her voice steady while her heart simultaneously leapt into her throat.

"I met her in kindergarten, Lindsey: even then, she was a red-hot water pistol," he grinned. "She bossed the other girls around; and lots of the guys, too," he grinned. "They never complained, though, because she did it in such a way that they always got what they wanted, in the end…and, so did she."

Lindsey watched Will's eyes blur as he continued to speak.

"She made sure that no one was ever left out, no one was bullied, and everyone had fun on her watch.

"Even those that were outcasts…like me," he whispered and then smiled.

"I was the scrawny uber-geek, and she pulled me into her circle of friends with sheer willpower and caring. I couldn't resist: she was the first person that didn't judge me because I couldn't hit a baseball very well or throw a football worth a darn. She helped me find out that I could handle a bow and arrow with the best of them, that I could outrun them all, and that I had a knack for studying and learning almost anything and everything, including the martial arts."

Pointing at the monitor, his eyes now re-focused and beaming, he continued:

"Just look at her, Lindsey. You never would expect that this zaftig…yes, I called her zaftig: she told me the meaning after she'd been insulted for the umpteenth time, and I told her that the definition fit her perfectly, for she was a Grecian Goddess to me," he smiled. "You never would have suspected that this zaftig, full-figured and beautiful young woman was a black belt in Taekwondo, or that she was an archer extraordinaire, or that she loved everybody, especially those people who were invisible to the popular kids. She even had a soft spot for a certain stuffed cuddle buddy, but that's another story," he laughed, but Lindsey felt the pain in the laugh.

"Those like me," he said again, this time with a bit less strength, but then he pulled himself back together and continued forward.

"She was both an accomplished double-bass player and a wonderful cellist; in fact, she had just completed a series of master classes with Ja-Ja Mau," and even Lindsey recognized the world-renowned cellist, "and was being heavily recruited by both Julliard and Interlochen: Julliard wanted her for college, and Interlochen wanted her for her summers in high school, few that they would be since she was going to graduate at 16.

"She pushed me, Lindsey," Will grinned, "she pushed me from the first day we met to be more than I ever thought could be. She drove me like a herd of cattle from Texas to Kansas City, but I was not heading for slaughter, but for my dreams…_our_ dreams.

"And, Lindsey, amidst everything," Will said plainly, "she had time to tell me that she loved me and to tell me continually that she _wanted_ to be with me. We planned to both graduate from high school at 16, college at 19, and have our PhDs by the time we were 24. Then," he smiled really, really big, "we were going to have a wedding for the ages."

"Willa, my older sister," he smiled, and Lindsey could see the pain in the smile, "Willa used to make fun of the two of us," he laughed. "She would sing that old kid's song:

"Will, and Keri, sittin' in a tree;

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G.

"First comes love, then the PhDs,

"Then come the babies, out in threes," he laughed. "Keri had a history of triplets in her family tree, and she was convinced that the next round would be hers.

"Willa, and Keri," he said with finality. "They were my rocks, my guides…and, then, in what felt like just an instant, they both were gone, and I was alone," he sat back down on the ottoman, holding his head in his hands.

"If it hadn't been for Keri, Lindsey," he said into his hands, "I wouldn't have made it through Willa's funeral and afterward. She held me together, single-handedly, and I knew that I wanted her with me for the rest of my life.

"Then," he stopped, trying to hold himself together, "only a few months later, but it seemed like only seconds, she was gone, too…" his voice trailed off, and he began to shake in silent sobbing.

"Will, I know what happened to Willa," Lindsey said softly, and Will's head shot up, anger written on his face. "Lieutenant Capperson told me," she said, backing up in pure reflex. "She was the investigator for their insurance company," she continued.

"That's where I remember her, but she had a different last name, and a different presence, back then," he mused.

"But, Will," Lindsey prodded him, once again, "what happened to Keri?"

--

She watched his visage turn from the proud, yet sad and lost look he had shown her to one that showed pain: the pain of loss, and then in an instant to the same sad and cold one she had seen on him the first day that she has meet him. Turning back to the laptop, he accessed another file while, at the same time, reaching into his inner breast pocket and pulling out his wallet.

From inside the wallet, he removed a plastic-encased piece of paper, the plastic both protecting the paper and making it stiff.. Lindsey looked at the plastic, realizing that it contained a newspaper clipping. She was alerted to the screen by a beep from the sound system, and she looked up. It clearly showing a digitized copy of the newspaper article, the headline from the item he held in his hand now clearly appearing on the screen:

'Five captured, three dead in failed bank robbery attempt.'

"'Five captured, three dead in bank robbery attempt," Lindsey looked sharply at Will: he was reading, not from the image on the screen, not from the plastic he held in his hand, but from his memory, his eyes squeezed closed.

He paused and tilted his head up toward hers, pleading for strength. She stood, walked over to him, took his hand, and sat next to him.

He began to read, again:

"Five captured, three dead in failed bank robbery attempt

"(Bangor, Maine) The toll of the bank robbery was high in Brewer on Friday afternoon: five robbers were captured, but two were killed at the thwarted robbery attempt, including a 15-year-old girl who was in the bank with her mother and friends from school to open an account.

"According to sheriff's reports, Keri Innes Jacobson was killed, during an aborted robbery attempt, in an accidental shooting triggered by the bank security guard of the DT SouthBank in his attempt to stop the robbers. The guard, 54-year-old James Cargille, died instantly when he was hit by shots from four of the five robbers. The fifth fired, missing the guard, and the errant shot stuck Miss Jacobson. She died while paramedics attempted to stabilize her. . According to the report filed by the paramedics on the site, Miss Jacobson bled to death as she was being held by her mother as they attempted, in a vain attempt, to stop the bleeding. 'She died in her mother's arms,' one of the paramedics reported. 'If a child has to die, I can think of no better way,' she added, sniffling.

"In his statement given to the press later that afternoon, Sheriff John Grater reported that the guard was a retired Army desk officer who had falsified his application to get his job. Mr. Cargille's application listed that he had seen combat in Vietnam; however, according to records from the US Army, his only active duty stations had been on US shores during this 15 years in the military. 'A rookie mistake made by an amateur guard' was the only way that Sheriff Grater would describe Mr. Cargille.

"Ms. Jacobson is survived by her parents, Kenneth and Kathy Jacobson, and her younger brother Karl Carter. Mr. Cargille is survived by his wife of 34 years, Sally Cargille, and their children James Jr. and Cienna.

"The alleged robbers were captured heading for the Bangor International Airport; they stated that they were….

"(continued on page A7)," he stopped reading from his memory, and Lindsey could see him try to formulate his next sentences in his mind.

"That's all I have," Will said softly. "I keep it with me at all times, hoping that I can get some comfort or strength from a silly piece of plastic." Will turned to look at Lindsey, and he was surprised at the tears on her face: much more than he ever expected to see from anyone, other than Keri's family or his.

"Oh, Will," she grabbed him and hugged him. Shocked, Will stood perfectly still for several moments, and then he slowly lifted his arms up to hold her as she cried. He leaned his face in, next to hers, and he felt the tears from her cheek meld onto his.

That tear broke his dam:

"_KERIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"_

He screamed, and the two held each other and cried for a long, long time.

"Amateurs cost me Keri," Will said softly into Lindsey's hair, "so imagine my anger at Dr. Director for bringing Kim Possible in to 'assist' me. She was an amateur, a rookie, and I didn't want to risk losing anyone else, so I went solo on the assignment with her. She proved she was more than competent on the mission, but she wasn't trained...she was still an amateur. A very gifted one, but an amateur nonetheless.

"I couldn't lose anyone else, Lindsey," he sobbed into her hair, and it was all Lindsey could do to hold him tightly and cry with him…cry with the man she was certain she had fallen completely and totally in love with.

--

Will realized where he was when his mind returned from the depths of his despair, and he realized he was holding Lindsey. He sniffled, sniffed, and smiled inside: 'She even smells beautiful,' he thought, and he felt their tears between them and down the front of their now-wet clothes.

He reached up and placed his hands on either side of Lindsey's face.

'I have to know,' he thought, and he opened his eyes and stared into hers. With her eyes smiling back, he pulled her head down and lifted his head up…

…And Supervising Agent Will Du kissed Commander Lindsey Peterson, USN.

He pressed his lips gently against hers, tentatively feeling her warmth emanating from hers. She parted hers slightly almost immediately, and Will smiled as their tongues darted, danced, and hugged each other, much as their people had done. Will let his right hand move down her face, her shoulder and her side, and wrapped itself around her, pulling her in closer. He felt her smile as he did, and he felt her hand move to the small of his back and pull him in.

Their tongues sadly said 'until later' to each other as their mouths parted.

"Wow," came from both of their mouths at the same time, and Lindsey giggled.

"Lindsey Peterson, I love you," Will announced softly, moving his hand back up to hold her face. "I've never loved anyone since Keri like I love you," he said with a smile, and Lindsey smiled back.

"I love you, William Du," Lindsey whispered, and Will's heart sang. "No one, ever, has done to me what you have done to my heart."

"You mean the world to me, Lindsey, and I want you in my life for the rest of my life."

"Why, Mr. Du," Lindsey fluttered her eyelashes, and Will couldn't help but laugh, "Is that a proposal of marriage?"

"If you have to ask, then no," Will grinned. "When I propose, you'll know it's a proposal. Besides, I would never do that before meeting your parents, anyway," he added.

"Old fashioned?" she smiled.

"Don't do that kind of alcohol, my love," he replied, and he missed the reason for Lindsey's giggle, "but I believe in what's right.

"Besides," he added, "I have someone else to ask for permission, too," he said softly.

"Keri's parents?" she asked, and he nodded.

"I'll wait, then," she smiled, while inside she cheered louder than the Middleton High School Cheer Squad.

"No, you won't," he replied, and he reached into his pocked and retrieved his cell phone.

"Who are you calling?"

"Dr. Director, to tell her that you won't be in tomorrow," he grinned as he punched the button.

Lindsey panicked for a moment. "Uh, Will, I'm not that kind of girl," she admitted.

He closed his phone and stared at her.

"Wait, did you think I…Oh, Lindsey, I would never…I mean, I've never…I mean," he stammered and blushed.

"Me, neither," she admitted, and he smiled.

"Me, I can understand; but, as beautiful as you are, I'm pleasantly surprised...no, I'm downright shocked," he said.

"You think I'm beautiful?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Come here, handsome," and she pulled him back into her for another kiss.

--

"By the way, what was for dessert?" she asked after their mouths separated, and he grinned.

"Bananas Foster a la French Quarter," he said, and she took his hand and pulled him towards for the door.

"You're feeding me tonight while we're sitting on the couch, listening to music, talking, and we are going to work on some very serious snuggling," she commanded.

"Yes, Commander," Will saluted, and she punched him in the ribs as the door opened and they headed for the elevators.

"That's all you're getting tonight, mister," she said as they rode the elevator down.

"More, I would not want, ma'am," he replied honestly as the door opened and they walked to the tube room. 'More, and my brain and my heart just couldn't take it,' he thought, realizing that, for the first time since he was 15, he was truly in love with someone who loved him back…and, there were no strings attached.

'How lucky can one guy be,' he sang in his head as the door to the tube room opened.

"Ladies first," he grinned, and she slapped at him.

"No free shots, William," she laughed, pushing him into the tube and watching him take off.

--

'See you tomorrow afternoon-L' was the text message that Betty received, and she grinned and punched up the WadeBot controls, requesting that one retrieve the laptop and smother the fire in the Pit. Then, she leaned back in her chair and closed her eye, dreaming of her cowboy, up in the bunk house, but not before she looked down and caressed her engagement ring.

--

05/22/2009

Thanks to jakt, Star-Eva01, and Silvermist for wonderful beta work; their suggestions and thoughts are timely and appreciated, as always. And no, kt, the chapter title does not refer to that plant, either (giggle right back at'cha).

Friendships we'd all like to have, possess, and nurture forever that stand the test of time, and are unconditional: that describes both Lindsey and Will, and it describes my feelings for my wonderful betas.

--

The chapter outline for the story of one Global Justice Supervising Agent Will Du, and someone who thinks he's special, in a weird sort of way.

Chapter 1: **Find seed**

Chapter 2: **Prepare soil**

Chapter 3: **Plant seed**

Chapter 4: **Water plant**

Chapter 5: **Nurture plant**

Chapter 6: **Weed plant**

Chapter 7: **Prune plant**

Chapter 8: **Harvest plant**

Chapter 9: **Enjoy fruits of labor**

From your friendly neighborhood 'nebster.

--

For Commander Argus...Calm seas, and prosperous voyages, my friend. May you dance with the angels, sir.

For readers who honor me by naming Joss Possible Best Minor Character from my JadeKimVerse: thank you, and I hope to live up to your honors.

Congratulations to the other winners, as well:

Repeat winners (from previous years) JAKT, MrDrP and Slyrr; and

First-time winners MaceEcam, Neo the Saiyan angel, NoobFish, Ran Hakubi, Star-Eva01, and whitem.

And, for someone special: you know how I feel about you.

--


	8. Chapter 8: Harvest plant

**Birth, and Rebirth 01**_**: Will I?**_

Disclaimer/Author's Notes: Kim Possible and all the characters of the show are owned by the Disney Company. The original lyrics to the songs referenced in this story and the music are the property of the respective authors, artists and labels. All other characters can be blamed on the author (he, however, is not responsible for alh.l of their actions at all times, being barely responsible for himself most of the time).

This is a strictly not-for-profit, just-for-fun work.

Enjoy! Please read and review.

**A/N Forward: **

This is the tale of two individuals: how their lives wind and unwind as they twist and turn together, and how their lives both intertwine and fuse with the lives of others, creating relationships that last for...well, that last for a lifetime, and for more than eternity itself.

This is the penultimate chapter, with the final due out near the end of the month.

A Will Du tale...

--

Chapter 8: **Harvest plant**

--

Will was stretched out on his couch.

This was not where he expected to be after an invasion attempt, and certainly not where he expected to be after his revelation about his feelings for Lindsey.

Alone and in his apartment was just 'sick and wrong', he thought, and then he chuckled, realizing that being around Lindsey, who had spent a lot of time over the past months with Kim and Ron, had the effect of having some of Ron's phrases rub off on him.

Unfortunately, the time spent together had translated into no more than a few moments alone for the two of them until just before the Lowardians landed…

--

He had been on assignments, almost back to back, since March, with only enough time to get home, change out his kits, and head back out.

He did remember, though, to give Lindsey a key to the apartment…"Just in case you need a place to crash," he had explained, and he was rewarded in front of Dr. Adams and the entire medical staff with a kiss that curled his toes.

"Thank you," she purred, and he blushed.

He did have one time that he had come home after an extra-grueling mission to find dinner waiting on the table for him: a large covered platter that was producing a mouth watering smell along with a rather large ceramic-covered bowl. Both were accompanied by a note:

"It's not Cajun, but I hope you like it…love, L," she wrote.

He lifted the plate cover and smiled, picking up a random piece of the baked chicken on the platter without really looking at it and bit into it.

He had never tasted anything quite like it before: the mix of Southern, Cajun, Jamaican, and Indian spices had his mouth burning for several minutes, but he loved the taste, and he gnawed at the drumstick as he headed into the bedroom, whistling and tossed his duffel on the bed.

"Gotta get me some more of that," he said, stripping the drumstick down to the naked bone and bee-lining it back to the table. He was delighted to find an entire chicken, baked to perfection with these spices and lounging on the platter waiting for him, and long-grained white rice to cool his taste buds, nestled in the ceramic bowl.

"How did she know?" he asked himself as he scooped a big mound of the rice onto a quickly-retrieved plate and placed some chicken on top, spooning the sauce from the chicken on top of them both, smiling as he served himself. "Doesn't matter," he grinned, as he sat down at the table: "This is to die for!" he laughed and began to wolf down the savory chicken and rice mixture he'd created.

He had had a chance to call his parents and arrange for them to meet him in Bangor on a Saturday morning for breakfast, but he wouldn't tell them why. He managed to convince Lindsey to come along, although that didn't take too much convincing, especially when he told her that the previous night they would be at Keri's house, visiting Keri's parents.

He accompanied Lindsey to the wedding of his boss and Dr. Samuel Clemens Possible. He watched them ride off to the runway and their honeymoon jet in their 'surrey, with the fringe on the top', and he couldn't help but wonder what Lindsey would look like, standing there in her dress….

'Yeah, Will, you're doomed,' he laughed to himself, back at his apartment, as he looked for the phone numbers in the GJ database, and he found the one he wanted.

He surprised Keri's dad with a call at his office…

--

The phone rang, and Kenneth Jacobson looked perturbed, but then he looked at the caller-id and saw that it was blocked.

"Not too many can do that on this phone," he muttered under his breath, then chuckled as he picked up the phone, placing a bet with himself on the caller's identity.

"Jacobson: it's your dollar," he answered, and he heard a voice…

"Mr. Jacobson?"

"Yes…who is this?

"This is William Du, sir," and Kenneth smiled a thin smile and made a note to buy himself a large iced coffee at a specific convenience store, on the way home for winning the bet.

"How are you, my boy? And, just _where_ in the heck _are_ you?"

"I'm fine, sir. And, as for where I am: I took your advice, sir, and I'm one of 'Betty's Bouncers,' now," Will laughed.

"Good for you," Kenneth smiled and mentally changed the drink from coffee to his favorite treat: a special Root Beer that he had seen at that same convenience store: a Frostie Root Beer.

"Sir, may I ask a favor?" Kenneth knew what he was going to ask, and he smiled even bigger.

"Of course, my boy: what is it?"

"May I come by on a Friday night to see you and your wife?" he paused, then continued: "I need to ask you both something important."

"Do you have one in mind?" Kenneth asked while thinking: 'No, make that a six-pack, and it's about time, son.'

"Yes, sir: next Friday, if it's convenient," Will responded.

"Just a sec: let me check with Kathy," he put Will on hold and hit speed-dial 7.

"Kat? Hunk here: You'll never guess who's on the other line that wants to come up next Friday," he started, and then he moaned and laughed at the same time. "How did you know?" he asked, and he listened and smiled. "Is that good for you, dear?" He listened. "I know: it will be interesting to see how Karl reacts. He's still peeved at Will, and I have an idea why, but he won't talk about it." Silence, and then "All right, I'll tell him…luv you, too," and he clicked over to the other line.

"Next Friday's fine, Will," Kenneth replied.

"Thank you, sir."

"Will, you don't have to 'sir' me."

"I know, sir," Will chuckled. "See you next Friday, 7:00?"

"Seven's fine…by the way, Will, what's her name?" Kenneth asked innocently while placing a double-or-nothing bet with himself.

"Lindsey, sir," Will replied, then slapped his forehead while Kenneth laughed.

"Must be prepared, my boy, for all contingencies. See you and Lindsey Friday," and he clicked off the phone.

Kenneth reached over and picked up the picture he'd had on his desk. He'd snapped it, almost by accident, one evening when Will had come over. He and Keri were sitting on the front porch swing, just holding hands and smiling. Their smiles showed that they had their entire worlds in front of them, and no one was going to get in their way.

"He's coming back, Keri," he reached out and touched her hair in the picture with his other hand. "He's coming back, and he's moving forward, finally," he whispered, trying to hold back his tears with a warm smile. "It's about dang time, too," he laughed and put the picture back, then stood, grabbed his BlueBerry, and headed for the next meeting, closing the door and locking it behind him.

The door had a simple name plate on it that read:

Kenneth Jacobson.

He quickly made it out of the wing and into the lobby, where he crossed the main floor on his way to his meeting. He had finally stopped consciously noticing the emblem and the words etched into the lobby floor:

"Central Intelligence Agency."

--

"Dr. Director?"

Betty looked up and was still surprised to see, even after the past few months, a smiling Will Du.

"I have an errand to run this afternoon, if you don't mind. Also, Dr., Lindsey and I will be leaving town next Friday morning for the weekend," and he was still smiling.

"May I ask where?" Betty grinned.

"To Arlington and Bangor next weekend, Dr. Director," Will grinned back.

"Business, or pleasure?" Betty asked, noticing that Will had told her where they were going next weekend but not his afternoon errand run. She produced a grin of her own.

"A little of both, ma'am," he laughed.

--

Dr. Anne Possible looked up from her flat-panel monitor in her desktop when she heard the knock on her door frame.

She's been forewarned by the floor nurse that 'he' was back, and he was carrying roses, again. Anne sighed and told the floor nurse not to call Security.

"Are you certain, ma'am?" he laughed. "They can bring tranquilizers," he added as Anne hung up the phone, the raucous laughter still echoing over the phone and down the hall.

"Mrs. Possible?" Now, that was a surprise: Will normally used titles.

"Yes, Agent Du?" Her voice was calm, but she had her Pradas on today. She wasn't sure why she decided to wear them before: now, she knew why as she flashed back to the last time that he was in her office: she had gotten in some 'practice kicks,' as well.

"I've come to apologize to you for my actions…" Will started, and Anne's eyes widened, "and to beg your forgiveness, as well, for insulting you, the last time I was here."

The look on her face spoke volumes, and Will decided to continue. "And, no ma'am, I'm not a synthodrone: we got rid of that one last week," he grinned, and Anne managed a smile, still with that same look on her face. "I'll offer up a blood sample for you, if you'd like," he continued with a smile.

Anne laughed. "That won't be necessary, Will, but thanks for the offer," she said.

He pulled the roses from behind his back. "I hope you'll take this token of my apology, Mrs. Possible, and not throw them back at me," he added.

Anne stood and walked around her desk to retrieve the flowers. Will immediately noticed the shoes and grimaced.

Anne laughed. "Not today, Agent Du. These are lovely, by the way, but I _am_ curious: what happened?"

"I've met someone," he said, simply, and Anne beamed.

"Are you happy?" she asked, and the smile on Will's face answered even before his mouth could.

"Oh, _yes_, Ma'am!" he exclaimed, then realized his volume of his outburst and blushed. "She's...she's…I can't describe her, ma'am," he stammered, and Anne nodded.

"That's all right, Will," she said, and Will noticeably relaxed.

"Would you be offended, if I may be so bold, if I stated that, for the record, that I believe that you are, indeed, an incredibly beautiful young woman, and that Mr. Possible is a very, very lucky man?" Will smiled.

Anne blushed. "Why, thank you, sir, and no, I would not be offended in the least by your compliment."

"You are most welcome," he replied, relieved when he stole a quick glance and saw that no leg movement on her part was in play. Anne noticed his quick glance at her shoes and chuckled evilly inside

"So, who is the lucky young woman?" she asked as she leaned back against her desk and, with an obviously exaggerated motion, crossed her legs.

Will flushed for just a heartbeat and then laughed. "No spoilers, Mrs. Possible," and then he had a thought. "Would it be appropriate if I called on Kimberly Ann to apologize to her, as well?"

"I'll take that blood sample , now," Anne remarked, matter-of-factly, and reached into a pocket of her lab coat, removing a syringe and a pre-packaged alcohol wipe, laughing as she watched Will roll up his sleeve.

--

"You have arrived at your destination," the VocalGPS announced from the rental dash, and Will winced as he placed the vehicle into 'Park.'.

"See?" Lindsey laughed. "That wasn't so bad, now, was it?"

Will mumbled something about 'not being a man if you have to ask for directions from a machine' as he turned off the ignition and unlocked the doors.

Lindsey leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Have I told you, lately, that I love you?" she whispered.

"Yes, but I can always use some more 'Lindsey-lovin'," he grinned as she brought him out of the funk of using the GPS and turned his lips to hers.

"Are you ready for this?" she asked as they walked up the sidewalk to the rather nondescript home.

"I think so," he admitted.

"I know you can do it, Will," she stated, and he stopped and turned, a smile taking over his face in conjunction with a surprised look.

"What?" she asked.

"Keri used to always tell me that she believed in me, Lindsey," he smiled and put his hands on her face. "I know I've found the right person," he added, then pulled her face down and kissed her.

"Do I need to just get the CO-2 extinguisher from the kitchen, maybe dump a bag of ice on each one of you, turn the lawn sprinklers on high, or how about calling the fire department to hose you both down good?" a calm male voice came from the direction of the door, and Will smiled as he separated from Lindsey.

"Good evening, Mr. Jacobson," he spoke, extending his hand as the man came down off the porch and onto the sidewalk.

"Hello, William," Kenneth Jacobson smiled and shook Will's hand. He cocked an eyebrow at Will, who blushed.

"I'm sorry, Kenneth: Lindsey, this is Kenneth Jacobson, formerly of the Maine State Bureau of Criminal Intelligence and Forensics, late of the CIA. Kenneth, this is Commander Lindsey Patterson, USN, on assignment to Global Justice, and former aide to Claudia Rose."

"How's the 'Red Terror' these days, Commander?" Kenneth laughed.

"She's quiet and shy, as always, sir," Lindsey stated calmly, then winked.

"Come on in," he joined them in their laughter, "Kathy's been busy, preparing all your favorite dishes, William," he turned and headed back up to the porch, where he held the open for both of them.

Lindsey entered first, and she was assaulted by the aromas from the kitchen. The kitchen door opened, and a woman who could only be Kathy Jacobson emerged.

Lindsey knew that because "Willie!" came from her mouth as she ran up to him and hugged him.

She backed up and looked up at him, a sly grin forming on her face. "I see little Willie's not so little anymore," she smirked.

Will blushed…

Lindsey sputtered…

and Kenneth just groaned. "Kat, did you have to bring that back?"

"Uh-huh," she nodded with an innocent shark-like grin on her face, and then she burst out laughing.

"Mom!" Will exclaimed. "You're as bad as Keri," he grinned, then pulled her into a hug, once again.

"I've missed you, William," she said into his neck.

"I've missed you, too, Mom," he responded softly. "How have you been?"

"Hanging in there," she laughed, backing up and releasing Will at the same time. "Trying my hardest to keep Kenneth out of trouble, and failing miserably," she added.

Now, who is this lovely young lady, William?" Kathy asked, turning her attention to Lindsey and giving her the 'mother once-over.'

"Mom, this is Commander Lindsey Patterson, USN, on assignment to Global Justice, and former aide to Claudia Rose. Lindsey, this is Kathy Jacobson, my 'extra Mom'," Will grinned as he introduced the two women. "Lindsey is the reason I'm here, Mom," Will added, and Kathy shook her head, sadly.

"Well, D'oi, William: you didn't think I figured that out, already?" She stared at him, then burst out laughing. It took Kathy a moment to get herself back under control, and then she returned her attention to Lindsey. "Claudia Rose, huh?" she asked. "Does she still nibble her pen tops when she gets mad, Lindsey?"

"Yes, ma'am, she does," Lindsey said, straight-faced. "That's usually a good sign to leave the country, if not the continent," she said, a hint of a smile on her face.

"Nice to know she's as calm and serene as always," Kathy laughed.

Lindsey's nose took over her brain when she took a breath, and then she took a deeper one. She got another good whiff of the smells coming from the kitchen. Smiling, she thought, "he _is_ a chicken man, if she's cooking what I think is his favorite dish.'

Suddenly, an unseen door opened and slammed shut, followed by a male voice, calling, "Mom!" from the kitchen. "We got company tonight?" A male voice asked, and the kitchen door swung open as a body emerged. He took two steps from the kitchen into the next room and stopped, staring at Lindsey with a huge smile, then turning and staring for a few moments before the smile shrank considerably. He took two steps toward Will, stopped, and turned, running down the hall and slamming a door that was obviously to his room.

"Will, I'm s-" Kenneth started, but Will held up his hand and headed down the hall, Lindsey and both parents following behind him.

Will reached up, found a button, and pressed it. The door opened slightly, and he pushed it the rest of the way so he could enter. Lindsey and the parents stayed back, away from the open door.

"I ticked you off, big time, when I left," Will said to the young man, sitting at the lone desk in the room, his back to the door and his fist pounding into a pillow retrieved from the bed.

"No shakes," he growled in reply, never turning to face Will.

"I know I'd be furious if I saw the guy who was my best friend show up after all these years, and he's holding someone else's hand after he was in love with my sister. I'd want to kill him, personally, not caring who knew or if I was killed in the process.

"I can tell you this, Karl." Will walked over and sat on Karl's bed, Will's back ramrod-straight. "I am who I am today because of Keri and your dad," he started, "but mostly because of Keri," he added, not ignoring the small sounds coming from the chair at the desk. "If I hadn't loved her, I'd not be here right now.

"We talked, about six months before she died, about what we would do if something happened to the other one; then, we talked about what would happen if one or the other of us moved away with our families. We both agreed, after some long conversations and tears, that we would go our separate ways and that, should we find someone else, we'd come back and introduce that person to our best friend as a final litmus test, if we had any doubts.

"Keri's not here," Will continued, holding back his own tears, and Lindsey was smiling as she watched him from the door, "but I've already had those talks with her, more than once, over the last few months, before, during, and after the Lowardians. I needed her strength when I first met someone, because I felt I couldn't betray her. She told me it wasn't betrayal and 'to remove my cranium from my rectum, please and thank you'," he laughed, and Karl laughed with him, still never facing him.

"You left me," Karl spoke softly, the richness and the anger in his deep bass voice surprising both Will and Lindsey. "You left me with all my pain, and I hated you for such a long time, I never thought I'd get over it.

"Maybe I'm not completely over it now," he continued, pounding the pillow, "but I do know one thing: if you didn't love my big sis: still love her in a very special way, you wouldn't be back here, asking Mom and Dad for permission to get married. I can't hate you for loving her that much.

"I can hate you for leaving me, and I did. You were my big brother, my guide, and you left after you got out of high school and never came back. We moved, and you never wrote me.

"_**I HATED YOU SO MUCH, I COULD HAVE KILLED YOU!" **_

He turned suddenly and threw the pillow at Will, and Will finally got a good look at the man his 'little brother' had become: he was no jock with his black horn-rimmed glasses framing his full, mustached face. He was probably no more than 5' 8" tall, just full and a touch pudgy, but his dark eyes both shone with intelligence and the sadness of long-held anger and grief.

Will stood and walked over to him, removing his watch as he walked and placing it in Karl's hands.

"This is a Global Justice-issue stun watch," he explained. "When the watch knob is pointing at me and the button is pushed, it will shoot out up to several hundred Watts through a pair of wires that impale the target. I set it on 'kill' and gave it to you," Will said, then backed up and stood, spread-eagled in front of the bed.

"If you want to kill me, go ahead. You will have witnesses that I gave you the weapon and asked you to do it. There will be no reprisals from Global Justice, but you have to ask yourself this one question before you push the button:

"If you do, will you feel any better?

"Will it make the pain go away?" Will asked, seeing him wince.

Will's lips formed a lopsided grin. "I know I won't," Will added and, closing his eyes, he stood still for a long time in the now-silent room, the only noise that of Karl, turning the watch over and over in his hands and examining the mechanisms.

--

"Will, how is Middleton, and how is Elizabeth?" Kathy asked, handing him a platter of baked chicken.

"She's fine, Mom," he smiled as he took the platter and put it down on his plate, only removing it when he felt Lindsey's glare of disapproval burning a hole in the side of his head and her foot kicking him in the shin. Will managed to keep any sign of Lindsey's warnings on his manners off his face and out of his voice as he added, "Lindsey told me that she was as giddy as a schoolgirl with her wedding planning."

Holding the platter with one hand, he quickly reached out with the other and piled his plate piled high with rice, sautéed zucchini and yellow squash. Only after it was perfect did he place five pieces of chicken on the mound, only doing so after he had served Lindsey to her satisfaction.

"Hey!" Karl called out. "Leave some for the rest of us, will ya?" he laughed and pulled the platter from Will's hands, grabbing three pieces of chicken for his own personal mound of rice-and-gourds.

"Some things _never_ change," Kenneth commented with a smile as he was handed the platter from his wife, who had managed to abscond with it from Karl's grasps before it was totally emptied and purloined two pieces for herself, reminding her husband that there was more in the kitchen.

"I remember how that boy could eat chicken," she whispered with a chuckle to Kenneth, who smiled and took the platter from her

"So, Karl, you've got the ladies all tied in knots, huh?" Will asked in between his third and fourth piece of chicken, and Lindsey smiled inside.

"Yeah, right," Karl snarked, then smiled as a faraway look crossed his eyes for just a second. Lindsey caught it and smiled inside. "There's Eileen...but we're just good friends."

"I'll bet," Lindsey smiled a knowing smile, and Karl blushed.

"We _have_ been playing 'baseball'," Karl grinned knowingly, and Will laughed, "but her dad…" Karl grinned, "her dad _is_ on the President's Detail, so I am not going for 'home runs' or 'triples'," he added with a smile. "Besides, even before he and I had 'the talk'," he gave a faux-shudder, and Will and Lindsey both laughed, "she and I decided not to go too far, too fast."

"Good for you," Will replied, and Karl beamed.

"Hey, she's no Lindsey," Karl grinned, and Lindsey blushed, "but she likes me for who I am and isn't scared of Dad, so I'm all right," he smiled, attacking a large forkful of chicken, rice, and zucchini.

"I'm no Keri," Lindsey said, "but I love my doofus, only the Lord knows why," she rolled her eyes and sighed, generating a massive blast of laughter from Kathy.

"You _have_ been around Claudia Rose too long," she chortled.

"You should see him in the kitchen, Kathy," Lindsey smiled as she bit into the chicken she'd cut up mixed into her rice and gourds. "My goodness, that boy can stir up some Cajun," she laughed, and Will blushed. "It was almost worth…you know," she giggled, and Karl held his hands over his ears in mock horror.

"Will, cook?" Kenneth shot out a massive laugh. "Will was a LIHOM, Lindsey: a Legend in his Own Mind, for several years until his dad finally threatened to chop off his hands before he ruined another grilling session. That boy would burn charcoal briquettes to a crisp with nothing but a match; I never _could_ figure out how he did it," Kenneth laughed, and Lindsey looked at Will and let out a laugh while Will tried to look innocent.

"Well, he's definitely gotten better," she grinned,, moving her hand from her lap to Will's thigh and giving it a squeeze.

"I must have, if you were willing to put up with me and my actions," Will grinned and blushed a bit from her touch. He was rewarded, however, with a full on-the-lips chicken-zucchini-and-rice-tasting kiss.

"Mom, Dad," Will finally spoke after his blood pressure dropped, must to the enjoyment of Karl and Kenneth, "I've found someone, as you know," and he stood, pulling Lindsey to her feet with him. "Before I make a complete fool of myself, I wanted to ask for your blessings to...," Will stopped for a few moments, steadying himself before continuing, "ask for your blessings to share my life with her."

"I know I'm not Keri, Mr. and Mrs. Jacobson," Lindsey interjected, "and, I never will be her. I want to try to make Will a small percent as happy as she would have done. If I can do that, I'll be as happy and proud to be…" Lindsey stopped, realizing that her eyes were as full of tears as Will's.

"Lindsey," Kathy stood and walked over to her, wrapping her arm around Lindsey's shoulders, stretching up to do so, "I know I can speak for Keri when I say this, dear:

"You'll always be welcome in the family," and the two women faced each other and hugged and cried.

The women separated when they heard the pop of bottle caps: Kenneth had snuck into the kitchen and returned with a six-pack of some dark bottles that Lindsey didn't recognize, but that Will was almost ecstatic over seeing.

"Frostie Root Beer!" he exclaimed as Kenneth had him a cold one. "I haven't had one of these in years," he added, lifting the glass bottle to his lips and drinking.

"You need to come by more often," Karl laughed, drinking from his own.

"Hey," Will laughed. "I'm just glad you got lucky when you fired the watch at me. Hitting me between the legs and no more than four inches below was pure luck," he added.

"I haven't been playing those games, all these years, to be lucky, Will: I hit where I aimed: between your legs, 20 cm below your..." Karl smiled.

Will blanched while Lindsey grinned, squeezed his hand, and drank from her own bottle. 'I love this,' she thought. 'I wonder if Betty or Doc Adams has ever heard of Frostie Root Beer,' she thought.

--

"You have arrived at your destination," the VocalGPS announced from the rental dash, and Will winced.

"See?" Lindsey laughed. "That wasn't so bad, now, was it?"

Will mumbled something again about 'not being a man if you have to ask for directions from a danged machine' as he turned off the ignition and unlocked the doors.

Lindsey leaned over and blew him a raspberry. "Not this time, lover," she giggled and got out of the car parked on the street. She looked at the driveway: a full-sized, four-door sedan in the driveway, looking like it had just been hand-waxed to perfection.

"No respect: I get no respect," he whined as they headed for the front door, already open with the wide storm door blocking the entrance to the house and leaving it open at the same time. Lindsey noticed that there were no steps up to the porch: 'one less thing to worry about in the winter, I guess,' she thought.

"Son!" A voice came from the side of the house, and Lindsey looked over to her right as Will pulled his hand loose and ran to the voice.

"Dad!" Will called out, and Lindsey saw a side of William Du she'd never seen: him hugging his father, the two of them both crying and laughing at the same time.

She used the time to compare Will to his dad: father was a few inches taller, a few pounds heavier, a head filled with silver hair, a pair of gardening gloves on his hands, and 'the Du family style of dress: immaculate,' she thought with an inner grin. 'Only a Du would garden in a sports coat, a Meezod shirt, slacks, and black boots, with matching kid-leather gloves, and everything remaining spotless and wrinkle-free,' she chuckled inside.

"Dad, I want you to meet Lindsey," Will was pulling his father toward her, and the older gentleman stopped and looked her over with a father's eye before smiling broadly.

"William, you told me she was pretty, but I see you still have the gift of understatement, I see," the accent-less tenor voice responded. "She's almost as pretty as your mother," he added, and his tone brought a hint of blush to Lindsey's cheeks.

"Right answer," came from the front door, and Lindsey turned.

'I'm going to kill Will,' Lindsey thought, right then and there.

The older smiling woman sat almost regally in the electric wheelchair, a massive grin on her face that, Lindsey was convinced, rarely left her face: the smile lines seem to have been embedded into her very psyche. She was handsome, not pretty, wearing a sharp grey business suit and a perfectly-matched pink blouse underneath the jacket. Her sharp skirt draped just below the knee: in this case, Lindsey's use of the singular was appropriate as the woman's left leg was missing from just above the knee.

She looked at both of Will's parents but had no idea as to their age. She only knew one thing: the love for their son was almost overwhelming, just as strong, or stronger, than their love for each other.

--

"Hello, Ellen."

"Patsy!" The waitress smiled as Will's mom moved into the spot at the table, and her husband slipped around and behind her, sitting on her right. "How'ya doin', hun?"

"Fine, Ellen," Patsy laughed as Ellen began to place the four glasses of water down in front of the plates.

"You all want the usual?" She asked Patsy, and she nodded, as did her husband.

"And, this handsome young man with who has be the lucky bride, based on the smile on her face?" Ellen faced them, smiling.

Lindsey was surprised to see Will stand. "You never called me handsome before, Mrs. Gentry; usually it was 'that half-crazy dreamer,'" Will smiled and held his arms open.

"Half-crazed dream… William? Is that you?" she asked, surprised, and Will nodded.

"William!" she cried and pulled him into a hug. "You've been away for too long!" she added, pulling back and giving him the once-over. "You want your usual, I'll bet, sweetie," she asked with a twinkle in his eye.

"Only if you're cooking it, Mrs. Gentry," he replied with a smile. "Mrs. Gentry, this is Commander Lindsey Peterson, USN, my friend…and, maybe I can convince her, a little bit more," he winked, and Ellen laughed.

"Commander, Peterson, welcome to Ellen's Diner, and thank you from me and my family for serving our country," she smiled, and Lindsey realized that hers was an honest smile, tinged with a bit of…something else. "All active military eat free here, so what can I git'ya?" She pulled out a notepad licking the pencil she magic'ed from behind her right ear.

"I'll have the special, coffee, black, and a large glass of apple juice, please and thank you," she replied, and Ellen laughed heartily as she headed into the kitchen.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Lindsey whispered to Will, and he laughed.

"Tell you what?" he asked, loud enough for his parents to here and for Lindsey to want to crawl under the table and hide…after killing her BF, of course.

'BF,' she realized that she used that phrase for the first time, and she smiled inside for a bit, just before Patsy spoke.

"Because, Lindsey, there's nothing to tell, as far as Will's concerned. I've always been like this, Patsy replied. "I lost the leg to cancer when I was 23, long before Will ever showed up. Lucky for me, I had already found Ray, and I was even luckier that something like my losing a leg didn't bother him," she smiled, taking his hand in hers. "My wedding was magical, and the honeymoon night," she giggled and squeezed her husband's hand, and Ray blushed. "Oh, my," she laughed, and Lindsey glanced at Will's face, him starting to blush more than a bit.

"_**MOM**_!" Will laughed.

"Mrs. Du?" Lindsey asked. "Patsy?" she changed her question with the mock-glare she got from Will's mom, "what happened, if you don't mind my asking?"

"I fell at graduate school, tripping over a maple tree root, of all things," she laughed. "I broke my leg, and the doctor didn't like the look of the break. In less than 72 hours, I was down one leg," she replied matter-of-factly, and Lindsey wondered what else could happen to this family. "Ray was with me from the time I was brought into the hospital and stayed with me, every hour, until I finally went home. He almost wouldn't let me go, even then.

"He proposed later that year," she smiled. "I asked him if he was doing it because he felt sorry for me. 'No,' he replied, 'I just happen to think you're sexy, and I want to spend the rest of my life with a sexy woman, no matter how many limbs she has,' he knelt and opened the box.

"Willa was born 11 months later," she smiled, and Ray grinned.

"Here we go," Ellen called, and Lindsey looked up to see an overly-filled cart approaching the table. "Two orders: two eggs, over-easy, with link moose sausage, hash browns, and a side of three blueberry pancakes with maple syrup," she placed the multiple plates in front of Patsy and Ray.

"For the 'growing boy,'" Ellen laughed, placing three plates in front of Will, "Three eggs, fried, with four links of moose sausage and a side order of moose chorizo, home fries, and a stack of five buttermilk pancakes, with butter and maple syrup," she announced, and Will grinned and tucked his napkin into the top of his shirt, spreading it out on his front.

"And, for the lovely Commander," Ellen chuckled, placing a plate in front of Lindsey, "two eggs, scrambled, with a side of Scrapple and home fries, and three buttermilk pancakes," she grinned.

"What's Scrapple?" Lindsey asked.

"Everything but the oink," Ellen replied, and the entire table exploded with laughter.

Lindsey looked at Will, and he smiled and gave her an almost imperceptible small shake of his head 'no'; that was enough for her, and she cut a piece of it, stabbed it with her fork, and put in her mouth.

"Well?" Ellen asked.

"_**Oink**_," Lindsey replied, then covered her mouth in horror as the table and Ellen all burst out laughing, realizing that she was in on the joke.

--

"Mom and Dad are picking up the flowers on their way from the diner," Will told Lindsey as they headed for the cemetery, the sun peeking out on rare occasions from the gray sky covering Bangor after the invasion attempt. Lindsey saw the remains of at least four pods, off to the side of the road, and she saw several burned buildings along the way, but she also saw demolition of a pair of buildings and construction activity beginning on a third site.

'New beginnings, for them, and for me,' she thought with a smile. "Will, your parents are wonderful," Lindsey beamed. "They are such a perfect pair for each other, and I can see just how much they love each other and you," she added, reaching over and touching his right hand gently.

That generated a smile from Will as he drove US Highway 2 (State Street) and turned into the Mt. Hope Cemetery. "It's been awhile since I've been here, Lindsey, but I know where they both are buried," he said as he headed down different lanes in the Cemetery, pulling over after a few minutes to the right side and stopping the car.

"We're here," he announced, getting out of the car and coming around to open the door for Lindsey, his parents pulling up right behind him and stopping. Ray got out, retrieved the wheelchair, and helped Patsy by getting out of her way after he moved the chair into position and opened her door. Lindsey watched her smoothly get out of the car and into the chair, checking the controls to make certain that everything was working. Ray opened the trunk and retrieved what looked like to Lindsey a floral shop: red, white, and yellow roses, all professionally arranged for presentation. He handed the bunch to Patsy: she placed them in her lap and looked over at her son who, by this time, was beaming like a full-bore idiot and fighting back tears at the same time.

"Ready, Will?" Patsy asked, and Will nodded. She started down the path, Ray walking next to her. Will reached out and took Lindsey's hand, and they followed the pair to the first pair of gravesites:

Vincent James Quermasse

Willa Du Quermasse

"Hey, BIL, Big Sis," Will said as he into his mother's lap and pulled out two roses: one white, and one yellow. "I'm sorry I haven't been here in awhile, but you know what's been happening with me, I'm sure," Will smiled. "But, I bet you never thought I'd get back here, and with a beautiful, stunning woman at my side…besides Mom, of course," he added, and Patsy snorted.

"Willa, this is Lindsey. I'm haven't asked her yet, formally, but I'm pretty sure that she will say 'yes.' She's put up with me for the past six to eight months while I've been a total horse's rump, and she's helped me get past a lot of my 'tudes. And, she's been to Keri's parents, she survived Mom and Dad, and she even ate Scrapple," Will laughed.

"She knows about Keri, and she doesn't want to replace Keri: she wants to be with me, and I was convinced, for so long, that no one would ever want that. He knows I tried," Will rubbed his backside, and Lindsey held back her laughter, "but I never found anyone…until her.

"I miss you both," he ended, placing the white rose on Vincent's marker and the yellow one on Willa's marker. He reached over, grabbed a handful of roses, and guided Lindsey down 15 plots to another spot, this one with a marker surrounded with moss rose that rose halfway of the sides of the marker, and wild flowers covering the ground in front of it.:

Keri Innes Jacobson

Beloved daughter, sister, and friend to all

Lindsey felt Will squeeze her hand, and she took the roses from him. Will went to his knees, kissed the marker, and then stood back up.

"Hey," he started, and Lindsey could hear the strain in his voice. He took a deep breath, and restarted.

"Hey," Will spoke once again, and Lindsey saw his tears begin to form. "I love you, you know that, and I'll always love you. Your mom told me what you said," his voice broke a bit, "what you said, just before you…died," he grabbed Lindsey's hand and squeezed it tightly. "She told me that you said, 'Mom, tell Will I love him, and not to wait…' and you closed your eyes for the last time."

Lindsey saw Ray and Patsy had left their daughter's gravesite and were now standing off to the side of her and Will, and both were smiling broadly.

"I didn't understand what you meant for the longest time, Keri, but I do, now," he squeezed Lindsey's hand in a way that she would understand.

"You told me 'not to wait,' Keri, and I finally figured it out. I finally removed my head from my rump, my Keri, but it took time.

"Time, and a very special person," Will said with a smile in his voice that could had lit the entire Tri-Cities area for weeks.

"Keri, I think I found her…no, that's not right: I know I found her, Keri: She's everything I need, everything I want, much more than I deserve….much like you were, KJ," he grinned, and Lindsey smiled, notching one more item in her log books for her later discussion with Will.

"I can finally let you go, a bit," he said softly, bowing his head. "The thought doesn't pain me like it used to do…maybe I've grown up some," he joked, but Lindsey could hear some pain behind it, albeit much les that he had had in the past. "You'll never be gone, completely, but it won't hurt anymore.

"And you know I'm not replacing you," he chuckled, "since you threatened me the last time I even mentioned that."

"Keri," Lindsey began, and Will was surprised. "I wish I had known you, but I feel like I do, after talking to Will and watching you perform," Lindsey spoke softly, bending over and placing a white rose on her marker. "I'll never replace you in his heart, just know that, but I hope I can occupy some small piece of it." She stopped, took a deep breath, and continued: "I promise I'll keep him straight," she chuckled, "and make sure he turns out to be the man you would be proud of," she finished, then stepped back and snapped a salute, dropping her arm slowly to her side.

She felt her cell vibrate with the priority signal, and she stepped back and placed the ear bud in her ear.

"Lindsey, this is Betty," the voice began, and Lindsey grinned. "I'm back at the ranch, and it was _won-der-ful_!

"I want you and Will up here ASAP for two things:

"One, to update me on the current status of things; I've already talked to Commander Adams," Lindsey grinned, "and he filled me in on everything he had going. Besides, I want to know how your 'East Coast' road trip went.

"Two, Slim has a hankerin' for some grilled buffalo steaks, so we're throwing a small party Sunday afternoon at 5:30 PM MDT. Breakfast and lunch will be available if y'all make it here before then," and Lindsey couldn't help but laugh at her boss, using 'y'all'.

"I'm leaving a message for Will, as well, but not the same one, Lins. I really hope it went well, and I'm so happy for you. I know Claudia Rose is, as well. See you tomorrow," and the circuit cut.

"Duty calls, eh?" Lindsey jumped a bit: she had almost forgotten that Ray and Patsy had come up.

"Yes, sir," she replied, but Ray waved her comment away.

"That's 'Dad' to you, little missy," he chided, and Lindsey couldn't help but smile.

"I bet your parents are very proud of you," Patsy said, and she saw Will, standing behind Lindsey, suddenly wave his arms at her in a 'NO, NO!' manner.

It didn't work.

Lindsey caught him waving out of the corner of her eye and grabbed one of his arms, pinning it to his side. "It's all right, Will," she laughed.

"I know they are, Mrs. Du, because I talk to them every night when I pray," Lindsey started.

"They're 'up there,'" she pointed to the heavens, "courtesy of a zealot who decided to blow them out of the sky.

"Lockerbie," she said one word, and Patsy and Ray both let out tiny gasps.

Lindsey reached into her purse and pulled out a picture, handing it to Patsy. "You would have liked Mom and Dad, Patsy: they were a lot like you and Ray: vivacious, free-wheeling," Patsy snorted, "and they loved their children a whole lot.

"I was three when they called me from the airport, just before they boarded the flight. They told me that they loved me, I told them I loved them, and they told me to be good for Aunt Jamie Lynn: I was staying with her, my older brother, and her four kids while my parents went to Europe on business and a bit of a long-overdue honeymoon.

"Aunt Jamie Lynn and Uncle James Lee raised us like their own kids," Lindsey grinned. "See, you all have made me start to cry, and I swore I wouldn't do that here," Lindsey laughed and reached into her purse, but two handkerchiefs came from the men and one from Patsy.

"Thank you," she chuckled as Will gently wiped her right cheek.

"Lindsey, I'll never leave you," Will announced.

"Don't write a check you can't cash, William," she joked, dabbing the last of her tears away.

"Oh, I can cash it," Will said smugly, remembering the box in the suitcase, padded on the outside with clothes and, on the inside, with packing peanuts, a single wine glass… 'and, as the Good Doctor would say, "A li'l sumptin' extra,"' Will grinned to himself.

--

06/13/2009

Thanks to jakt and Star-Eva01 for wonderful beta work; their suggestions and thoughts are timely and appreciated, as always. And no, kt, the chapter title does not refer to that plant, either (giggle right back at'cha).

Friendships we'd all like to have, possess, and nurture forever that stand the test of time, and are unconditional: that describes both Lindsey and Will, and it describes my feelings for my wonderful betas.

--

The chapter outline for the story of one Global Justice Supervising Agent Will Du, and someone who thinks he's special, in a weird sort of way.

Chapter 1: **Find seed**

Chapter 2: **Prepare soil**

Chapter 3: **Plant seed**

Chapter 4: **Water plant**

Chapter 5: **Nurture plant**

Chapter 6: **Weed plant**

Chapter 7: **Prune plant**

Chapter 8: **Harvest plant**

Chapter 9: **Enjoy fruits of labor**

From your friendly neighborhood 'nebster.

--

For Commander Argus...Calm seas, and prosperous voyages, my friend. May you dance with the angels, sir.

For readers who honor me by naming Joss Possible Best Minor Character from my JadeKimVerse: thank you, and I hope to live up to your honors.

Congratulations to the other winners, as well:

Repeat winners (from previous years) JAKT, MrDrP and Slyrr; and

First-time winners MaceEcam, Neo the Saiyan angel, NoobFish, Ran Hakubi, Star-Eva01, and whitem.

And, for someone special: you know how I feel about you. Congratulations, and I know that the E-Ring will never be the same….

--


	9. Chapter 9: Enjoy fruits of labor

**Birth, and Rebirth 01**_**: Will I?**_

Disclaimer/Author's Notes: Kim Possible and all the characters of the show are owned by the Disney Company. The original lyrics to the songs referenced in this story and the music are the property of the respective authors, artists and labels. All other characters can be blamed on the author (he, however, is not responsible for all of their actions at all times, being barely responsible for himself most of the time).

This is a strictly not-for-profit, just-for-fun work.

Enjoy! Please read and review.

**A/N Forward: **

This is the tale of two individuals: how their lives wind and unwind as they twist and turn together, and how their lives both intertwine and fuse with the lives of others, creating relationships that last for...well, that last for a lifetime, and for more than eternity itself.

This is it…the end of this tale:

A Will Du tale...

--

Chapter 9: **Enjoy fruits of labor**

--

Will returned the rental car, paid the bill, and had put almost all of their bags on the airport rental cart before Lindsey came out of the restroom, carrying her small bag containing her change of clothes and makeup, grinning both inside and outside at the look on Will's face.

"Lindsey, I still cannot believe you need makeup: you look beautiful," his heart skipped a beat as she stopped and twirled in response.

"Did you actually apply anything? I can't see it…well, except for the lipstick, of course," he grinned and licked his lips.

"He's a keeper, honey," Lindsey turned quickly to see an older woman grinning at her. "And, he's good-looking, too: not like Larry here," she pointed to an older man with a cane.

"Good enough to keep you happy, Margaret, and get 5 kids, 15 grandkids, and 4 great-grandkids in the deal," Larry replied with a snort and a snarky lilt in his voice. "Besides, you never wore makeup, either…well, except for that wonderful strawberry lipstick," he smacked his lips, and the people in the rental return all laughed as he and his wife left, arm in arm.

'I wonder if I'll ever be that happy,' Lindsey thought, then smiled her thanks when when Will took her remaining bags from her hands and placed them on the cart he was pushing. "He's such a gentleman. Maybe…it could be…if I'm very, very lucky,' she thought as they took the short hike to the Escape Airlines check-in counter.

They showed their Global Justice identification, checked their bags, received their boarding passes, and headed for the security check-in with their laptops over their shoulders and their weapons (including their GJ standard-issue stun watches; there were replaced on their wrists with non-functional copies), inside the bags, their boarding passes flagged from Bangor (BGR) to Middleton (MIDL) with a plane change in New York (JFK).

They barely paid attention to the two men who were traveling out with them; they had checked in just after Will and Lindsey left the counter.

They made it through security with no issues (other than the surprise from the attendants when they flashed their GJ ids and weapons permits underneath the id badges). They went down the gate stairs to the tarmac and boarded the Bombe-Escapa Regional Jet for the short hop (comparatively) to JFK.

The two gentlemen boarded the plane after they talked with the flight attendant and the pilots. The last passengers were seated, and the pilot called for seat belt check.

--

The flight was uneventful, and they actually landed on schedule…only to be held up by the requirement to go back through Gate Security.

They boarded at the front of the plane, walking past the gentlemen from Bangor. One of them smiled and nodded at Lindsey, and the other simply nodded at Will as he walked by.

They found their seats, nodding as they walked by other uniformed individuals: two people from the Air Force that were obviously married by the huge smiles on their faces and holding hands, an Army Ranger, on his way back home with a huge smile on his face and a cell phone going strong, talking to his family, and others on the plane.

Will traded seats with Lindsey, allowing her to take the window seat while he took the middle seat in coach on the 767. He handed her a book from her bag and took out his notebook before putting both of their laptop bags in the overhead bin and taking his seat.

Lindsey had settled in for the ride, and Will was scribbling something in his notebook, when an "Excuse me, sir, ma'am," interrupted them. They both looked up to see the flight attendant standing with the same two men from first class, both smiling and holding what were obviously their own bags. "I'm sorry, you are in the wrong seats," she explained.

Will pulled his boarding pass from his shirt pocket and looked at it. "No, ma'am, we're in the right place," he replied, wondering if their seats had been double-booked somehow.

"Let me explain," the first man spoke. "I travel all over, making business deals, and I ride first class. You helped save the world, and you're in coach? Something's wrong-sick about that," he laughed, and Will smiled at the use of one of Ron Stoppable's phrases. "So, this time, we swap: I ride back here, and you two ride where you belong."

"Sir, I don't think that's right," Will started.

The man held up his hand to stop Will from speaking. "It's simple: you take the seats, or we get off the plane and the seats go unused," and his partner nodded his agreement.

Will looked at Lindsey, and she looked back at him with a 'why not?' look. He stood and extended his hand to the gentleman. "I wouldn't want you to miss your meeting, sir, so I accept your very generous offer," he shook the gentleman's hand. "I am curious, though: why us?"

"I heard the counter agent say that you both were Global Justice: between the Diablos and the Lowardians," the gentleman replied, placing his bag on the floor and pulling the two laptop bags from the overhead compartment, "you've had a busy last few years, sir. Allow us to say 'thank you' for taking the risks so the rest of us don't have to. Between the supervillians and the aliens, I'm surprised you haven't gone crazy." He handed Will his bag and Lindsey hers, then bowed slightly as he stepped aside to allow Will, and then Lindsey, to step into the aisle.

"One request, sir?" Lindsey asked, and he nodded. "May I have each of your business cards? I was raised to always thank a person in writing for something like this," she explained, and the gentlemen smiled and each produced a business card, handing them to Lindsey. She looked at them, let loose a smile, and said "Thank you," taking the cards and ushering Will, led by the flight attendant, to their new seats.

Only after they sat down did Lindsey let loose a soft laugh. Will turned and looked at her, confused. She handed him the business cards of the two gentlemen, and Will looked at them:

Henry Point

Product Marketing Manager - NACO

Bueno Nacho Corporation

And

N. David Black

Product Marketing Manager – Mexi-Mushroom Wrap

Bueno Nacho Corporation

"Why am I not surprised?" Will laughed.

Lindsey tapped his shoulder and pointed behind them, and Will turned around to see the First-Class section, now completely populated by service-men and -women and their families.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your Captain, Jackson Oveur, speaking to you from the cockpit. We had a bit of a delay in boarding, and I do not apologize for it: our entire contingent of First-Class passengers has, to a person, given up their seats to those who serve and protect: 18 individuals in the U. S and Canadian armed forces, and two individuals in Global Justice," and the applause from Business Class and the front of Coach was deafening.

"We do however, regret that we have had to suspend our new 'Safety is not a Bare Essential' video," Captain Oveur announced, and there were several boos from both Business Class and Coach. "It seems that one of our co-workers didn't use enough body paint, and the 'extra exposure' was not appreciated by some passengers," he laughed, and several voices booed in the background. "We're remaking all of the versions with 'more paint'," he chuckled, and laughter could be heard in the cockpit, "and the new and 'improved' versions will be available on all out flights by this time next week," and cheers could be heard throughout the cabin.

--

"Ron, Will will be there, too?" Kim was sitting in 'their' rebuilt booth in the restored Middleton Bueno Nacho.

"Yes, KP: Slim said Betty invited him and Lindsey along with your parents, Dr. Adams, Nurse Jackie, and us. And Joss invited Wade and his parents, so they flew out earlier today," he replied, enjoying a freshly-made Naco.

Kim's cell chose that moment to ring. "Just a minute, Ron: It's Mom'," Kim flipped open her cell and began to speak. Ron could hear her talking but could not get both ends of the conversation, although he had a pretty good idea based on Kim's facial expression.

Kim disconnected the call and held her phone next to her face where it had been. "Well, I told Mom that Will was going to be there, and I could tell she was smiling she told me to behave! Can you believe that?" Kim reached for her bottle of water and took a giant gulp from it.

Ron had two thoughts:

'I want to be that bottle of water on Kim's lips,' came with a wicked internal grin.

'Oh boy: time for 'So the Confrontation' to air: tonight, at the Bunker in Montana,' came with the look on Kim's face as she commented on Will's attendance and her mom's response.

"Kim, you've seen him around Lindsey: maybe she's getting him to move away from the Dark Side with her promises of sugar and macadamia nut cookies," Ron offered, and Kim shot water into Ron, the phone, and over the top of the booth behind him, showering the couple sitting there.

"Hey!" the young man shouted, looking over the booth top.

"Oops," Kim giggled. "Sorry, Reger," she smiled, and Ron Reger just laughed and returned to his conversation with the young lady.

--

"Thank you," Will smiled at the grinning man and woman that had asked for his autograph. They were the last in the line that had come up from Coach to get autographs from the people now sitting in First Class. He shook Will's hand and, with his wife, left smiling.

"That was amazing," Lindsey said, and Will turned to look at her.

She was, literally, glowing with excitement.

"I can't believe that people wanted _my_ autograph!" she laughed.

"Why would you be surprised?"

"I don't know…I never considered that I was famous or anything. I'm just doing my job, Will."

"And, that's why they want your autograph, Lins," Will smiled. "You're doing what they can't do, and they admire you for it. Besides," he grinned, "you make that uniform look good," he continued with a laugh.

She punched him in the shoulder and giggled.

'Thank goodness for that giggle,' he thought to himself as he rubbed his arm where she punched him, 'or I'd be so dead right now. Love is _soooo_ complicated,' he pondered as she punched him again and gave him a second giggle.

They enjoyed a wonderful late lunch, and all of their fellow first class members joined in their toast to their benefactors…and, to those not coming home.

Will reached down, took Lindsey's hand, and kissed it gently.

"Wha-?" she looked at him, and he smiled.

"Thank you for loving me," he explained. "I know I'm no catch, but-"

"Hold it right there, mister," she said.

"Seriously, Lins: I'm a scrawny brass-and-buttons military man with a stick up my rear all the way to my throat," she laughed at the image. "And you…" he paused, trying to gather his words, "you're a vision in uniform. I'm surprised that the Navy hasn't used your picture for recruiting photos: there would be a surge in recruits, both men and women," he grinned, and Lindsey blushed.

"I'm not that pretty," she countered.

"Oh, yes, you are," came from the others sitting behind them, almost in chorus, and Lindsey blushed as they laughed.

"So," Lindsey finally was able to speak after the laughter died down and her blush, as well, "what'cha gonna do, Mr. Du?" she asked, and she was surprised when his only response was a Godiva-like smile, followed up by a kiss that got cheers from first class, the flight attendants, and the front part of business class seating.

Lindsey enjoyed the attention, and she smiled as he kissed her.

--

After the aircraft landed, they all remained on board, standing and thanking the coach passengers as they left the plane. Lindsey especially enjoyed the look on their benefactors' faces when she gave both of them a peck on the cheek.

--

"I'm glad we're not going home right now," David laughed as they walked off the plane. "My wife would kill me if she saw the lipstick."

"I wish we were going home right now," Henry countered. "She gave me some feelings that I need to have resolved," he laughed.

"You ol' horn dog," David said with a chuckle.

"Hey, I'm not dead yet," Henry replied with a smile.

--

Lindsey and Will headed to baggage claim and picked up their duffels, and then they headed down the walkway to the unmarked door. Opening it, they were stopped by the GJ agent on duty.

"Good afternoon," he smiled as they placed their badges underneath the scanners.

"Hi, Jack," Lindsey smiled as he handed her back her badge.

"Boss make it back home, yet?" he asked.

Will nodded. "We're heading up to Montana to see her and Dr. Possible now," he replied.

"Tell her I said congratulations, will you?"

"Sure thing," Will replied as they headed to the door. Standing in front of it, they each in turn had their eyes scanned for identification. Upon confirmation, the door 'swooshed' open to the traveling pair, and the lights came on, revealing the tube room.

Will took their bags and placed them on the platform, and they disappeared. He then stepped onto the tube platform and waved as he dropped.

Lindsey took a look at the platform, shuddered a tiny bit, and stepped onto it.

She disappeared with nary a trace or sound.

--

Will landed.

"Hey, there, Du-Duh," a young voice laughed.

He turned to face the room and grinned.

"Hey there, 'Sweet Tea,'" he laughed as he stepped off the platform and received a hug from Joss Possible.

"Ready for some steaks?" she asked.

"Ah'm a-ready, little missy," he replied as Lindsey landed on the platform, laughing as she watched Joss blow Will a huge raspberry and then give him a big hug.

"Wanna rematch on the range, Will?" Joss looked up at him and grinned.

"No way," Will sounded shocked. "I know who the better shooter is, even if you're not legal yet," he laughed.

"And, don't you forgit it none, either," she laughed in reply. Then, she turned and held out her arms for Lindsey. "Hey, there, Mrs. Du," she smirked.

Lindsey hugged Joss and grinned. "Lindsey Du," she turned and looked at Will, "that has a nice ring to it; don't you think so, Will?" she smiled.

Will looked shocked, and Joss laughed. Inside, however, 'not yet," Will thought as Joss and Lindsey hugged, 'but very, very soon, dear lady,' he said to himself.

"Your dad's in the kitchen?" Will asked as he picked up the bags and headed for the elevators.

"Indeed," Joss replied with a giggle, eliciting one from Lindsey, as well.

Will was in front of them as they walked toward the elevators. He had stopped punched the buttons, and Joss reached out and grabbed Lindsey's arm.

"What'cha been feeding him, Lindsey?" Joss asked.

"Why?"

"Well, he's behaving like a real-live person, and those buns of his are filling out maghty fine," she replied with a wink.

Neither of them could see Will both smile and blush as Lindsey and Joss both laughed.

--

"Cuz!" Joss shouted as Kim and Ron walked into the main house living room.

"Joss!" Kim laughed and held her arms open for a flying Possible, hugging her tightly.

Joss let her go, turned, and bowed to Ron. "Sensei," she said.

Ron bowed in return, then came up with a grin. "Joss, I told you not to call me that," he reminded her, but he was laughing as she came up with her tongue stuck out at him. She launched herself at him, and he grabbed her, hugged her, and twirled her in the air.

"Where's the Ruf-i-nator?" Joss laughed as Ron put her down.

"I left him at home: I reminded him of what he did the last time he was here," Ron replied.

"And, you didn't leave the li'l varmit home to starve to death, did'ya?" she asked.

"Nope: wheel of Cheddar," Ron replied.

Joss laughed. "Well, that'll take care of lunch" what about dinner and snacks?"

"Wheel of Gouda, and a round of Swiss," he replied.

Kim grinned. "So, Rufus is on 'Wheel of Cheeses', now?" she smirked.

Joss groaned, and Ron chose that moment to kiss Kim silent.

--

"Good day, Dr. Possible," Will entered the kitchen and smiled: Slim was wearing his trademark hat and whistling while he stirred a huge pot on the stove. "Judging from the sounds and smells, might I assume that your honeymoon went well?"

"Son," Slim laughed as he jabbed the spoon into the pot, and it stood up on its own. "Words cannot describe the three weeks I spent with Elizabeth. Let's just say we didn't leave the room much," he smiled under the moustache.

"I hope you didn't tell Jocelyn that little tidbit," Will replied.

"Oh, it's _no_ tidbit," Dr. Elizabeth Director-Possible entered the room in a one-piece bathing suit, and Will was happy about three things:

1. Dr. Director-Possible was already married;

2. she was his boss; and

3. he was already so totally smitten by Lindsey and had plans for her for tonight that he could keep his mind somewhat focused on his goal.

"Dr. Director," Will began with a smile, "first, my congratulations on your marriage," and she broke out an almost-blinding smile. "Second, however," he continued, generating a questioning look from her, "I don't think I'll be able to report on what you need to know," he continued, and she raised an eyebrow. "I fear I will be far too distracted to think clearly if I attempted to provide status to you with you are dressed like that," he added in a calm voice.

Lindsey, just entering the room with Joss, let out a long whistle. "'Trust the Midas touch,'" she sang, and Joss let out a whoop.

Betty just smiled. "Why, Mr. Du, I do believe you just slipped up, big time, and gave me a compliment," she replied, and Will nodded.

"Betty, he's just restating the obvious," Slim said, walking over to her and wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Ladies, I believe we should leave the men to cook while we lounge right proper," Betty cocked her head in the direction of the swimming hole, and Joss nodded vigorously.

"'Right proper?'" Lindsey chuckled as the three ladies headed upstairs. "Betty, I do believe you've been corrupted," she added with a laugh.

"MTB," came with a laugh from the hallway from a young male voice.

"Hey, Aggie," Joss said, and laughter came from the other room.

"Betty!" came from a female voice. "Love the suit, GF."

"Thanks, Rachel," Betty responded. "We were just heading up to get Lindsey and Joss dressed for lounging."

"I'm with you, girlfriend," Rachel laughed. "Hello, Jackie: long time, no see," she added as GJ Lieutenant Jackie Capperson came into the room, and Jackie laughed as she headed up the stairs with them.

"It's a dirty job, Dad, but someone has to do it," Wade laughed as he and Ryan entered the kitchen with a grinning C. P. Adams.

"Well, it's a 'full Load,'" Will quipped, and Wade stopped dead in his tracks.

'Will Du .NEQ. humor, so this must be either an imposter or that dang syntho-drone's back,' was his single thought.

"Who are you, and what have you done with Will Du?" he asked.

"Lindsey," was his single worded reply, and Wade grinned.

"Son, you're doomed," Ryan began, and they all finished in chorus:

"'But, what a way to go!'" and the laughter was loud.

"Dr. Possible, I know you're supplied, but might I make a suggestion on the buffalo steaks?" Will asked, and he then explained his idea, eliciting smiles from Slim and Ryan both and a perplexed look from Wade.

--

'I'm glad I reinforced the floor in the Fire Pit room,' Slim thought with a laugh as the last two diners, Ron and James, pushed back from the table with groans of satisfaction and laughs from Kim and Anne.

"Slim, those steaks were your best, ever," his brother stood, stretched, and rubbed his stomach. "That was an incredible dining experience: what did you do differently?" he asked.

"Yeah, Daddy, what did you do?" Joss smiled as she sat next to Wade and got her hair stroked gently.

"Well, I didn't do anything, but Du did," he smiled.

"What did Du do?" came from Joss' mouth, and she immediately covered her mouth as the laughs responded.

"Number 2, potty mouth," Wade grinned, generating a nasty look from Joss to him.

"I suggested to Slim that he try a different marinade, that's all," Will replied, "one I'd used on wild boar, before," he smiled, and Lindsey made a mental note to get that piece of information from Will later.

They had dined in the 3:00 o'clock quadrant of the Fire Pit, and they retired to the Noon quadrant to relax and allow the food to digest.

"Did you like the tomato-basil soup?" Ron asked, and moans of appreciation were his reply.

"I'm glad," he replied with a grin, and Kim winced: she knew what this next comment would be. "Both the tomatoes and the basil are from a new venture that Jim, Tim, a silent partner, and I have formed: 'Middleton's Own,' a supplier of unique produce," he added.

"What's unique about tomatoes and basil?" Joss asked.

"Just the growers and harvesters," Ron replied, and Joss looked confused.

"Why?" she pushed, and Kim grinned inside as she squeezed Ron's hand.

"They're all friends of Roachie, the giant cockroach that that Chester Yapsky, that 'bugman' we ran into, created over a year ago in his attempt to take over Middleton with an army of bugs," he explained, and Joss turned way greener than the basil.

"Relax, Joss," Ron laughed: "all the produce is washed and cleaned thoroughly before it hits the warehouses and then the stores."

"Ah jus' don' lak the idée of giant bugs touching mah food," Joss began to re-pink.

Ron grinned. 'Maybe they're more alike than either wants to admit,' he thought.

"Speaking of things that 'bug' me," Will stood and stated in a straight tone of voice, generating a small chuckle. "Miss Possible," he turned and faced Kim, "there is one thing about our first meeting that has been vexing me for the last several months, and I'd like to get it off my chest."

"Oh, really, Will?" Kim replied, and Ron felt her squeeze his hand until she almost cut off the circulation. "And, pray tell, just what would that be?"

"My use of the word 'amateur," he replied, and several events occurred at once:

Betty dug her nails into Slim's arm, generating a look at her from him. Her response look at him was not love in the least.

Anne grabbed James' arm and squeezed, hard. 'Oh, snap: Kimmie's gonna be ticked,' she thought. 'Bad choice of opening line, Will,' entered her mind as she saw her daughter move.

Ron heard the growl, reached for, and missed grabbing Kim's arm to hold her back.

Kim leapt to her feet and stuck her face in Will's.

"Amateur…_**AMATEUR**_?" she shouted, and she took an attack pose.

"We just saved the whole flippin' _world_," she swung a foot at Will's face, and he bent back to avoid it, "and where were you professionals when we were getting hammered, Mister?" she snarled as she fired off a series of sidekicks at Will.

He avoided all of them but the last, and he doubled over in shock as her foot struck his stomach.

"Miss Possible, if I may explain-"

"I was GOING…_TO_… _**DIE**_," she shouted as she threw several hand chops at his head and neck, "and Warhok didn't ask if _I_ was an AMATEUR!" she yelled as her last chop struck the back of his neck, and he fell to his knees.

He lifted his head in time to see her sneer at him as he struggled to his feet.

"Miss Possible, please let me explain," he began, but her laughed truly frightened him.

"Let _you_ explain?" she snarled. "Let…you…_explain_?" she snarked, sounding to Ron like Shego in a very, very bad Drakken index-card day. "Why? So you can make up some cockamamie story about why you were deprived as a child? Well, Will, that dog's a vegan: it won't hunt," she laughed and pulled him to his feet with his shirt collar.

"Say goodnight, William," she drew back her right hand, closed her fist, and used her other hand to expose Will's neck.

"KIMMIE! NO!" came from both James and Anne.

"MISS POSSIBLE!" came from Dr. Director.

"CUZ!" came from Joss.

"KIM!" came from Wade, C. P, Jackie, and Lindsey.

"KP!" came from Ron as he almost levitated to her side and grabbed at her right arm.

"I deserve it," was Will's final whisper.

--

Kim realized that something was terribly wrong:

Her right fist was only inches from Will Du's exposed Adam's apple, and her blow would have slammed it into his trachea and killed him.

Ron had managed to grab her arm and prevented her from striking the final blow.

Everyone in the room was standing and seemed to be frozen in time, heading toward her and Will.

She processed Will's last statement, "I deserve it," and she knew that there was something wrong-sick about his tone of voice: it was the voice of resignation, of acceptance of one's sitch, not the voice of a pompous GJ Agent with a stick up his rump.

She looked at Ron, and his eyes were burning blue. "KP, no," he whispered.

--

It seemed like years, but it was only moments before she nodded. Ron loosened the grip on her arm, and Kim's fist uncurled-

And, two fingers turned upward and locked into Will's nostrils, pulling him toward her face.

"Now, Agent Du, tell me why you said 'I deserve it,'" Kim smiled. She glanced at Ron: his eyes had returned to their chocolate brown, and he had regained his smile

"Because, Miss Possible, I made the same mistake that another person made before: I assumed the credentials of a person. In that other case, however, I lost my love to a bullet because of an amateur bank guard who lied to get his job," Will said, gently reaching up and removing Kim's fingers from his nostrils.

"If I may explain," he continued and began simultaneously, walking to the fireplace mantle and retrieving the remote. He clicked, and the monitor lowered from the ceiling, and it clicked on to reveal a concert venue, one recognized by all in the room the main stage for the New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, and the conductor, Sir Daniel Baxter. The soloist was a young woman, and her surprise instrument was a double-bass.

Kim sat, mesmerized by the young woman's sounds, and then by Will's story of Keri Innes Jacobson. She squeezed Ron's hand when Will told how they had met in kindergarten; how she pushed and pulled others, including Will, to be more than they thought that they could be; how she herself had learned both Taekwondo and archery; and how she was sought after by major music schools, both high school and college.

How they had planned their lives, and how those plans had died with her in that bank lobby.

"Before I first met you, I read your folder, and I was scared," Will admitted. "You were Keri, in a different body, and I was being asked to work with you in harm's way.

"I couldn't lose another," he finally admitted out loud, and Kim was shocked to see tears in both his and Lindsey's eyes.

"So, you see, Miss Possible, I owe you an apology, on behalf of myself, my sister, and Keri: neither of them would have wanted me to treat you the way I did, but I was still hurting so bad, and you remind me so much of Keri that it scares me," Will finished, and Kim's jaw, already open to its widest point, opened even wider.

"I couldn't lose another person," he repeated, bowing his head, and Joss stared at Lindsey and Wade in amazement.

"Kim," he whispered, and Kim was surprised: he'd never called her anything other than Miss Possible or Kimberly Ann except under extreme duress, "I beg you: please, forgive this young fool."

Kim looked at Lindsey: tear were flowing down her face, and she nodded at her as if to confirm Will's confession. She looked at Ron, and he was smiling at her and encouraging her to 'do the right thing.'

She did.

She stood, walked over to where Will was now leaning forward in his chair, lifted his head so she could see his eyes…

…and tweaked his nose with her first two fingers from her right hand and a huge smile on her face, releasing the anger that had overtaken it earlier.

"OWW!" came from Will, and he quickly lifted his hand and rubbed his sore nose. "What'd you do that for?" he asked.

"Turnabout," Kim replied with a smile. "And, a little payback, Willie Du," she laughed, and Joss let out s spurt of laughter.

"I understand," Will smiled. "I hurt you, so you had to hurt me. We square?"

"We're square," Kim replied, and Will stood and stuck out his hand-

And Kim pulled him into a hug, surprising Will, James, Anne, and Betty.

When Kim released him, he turned and grinned at Ron. "Sir, you are a very, very lucky man," he stated and saluted, and Ron stood and returned the salute, much to the embarrassment of Kim and the delight of everyone else in attendance.

"Besides, Kim, I had to apologize before I did this," he grinned, walking to the 5:00 quadrant and returning with a medium-size box. "Lindsey, I believe that this is for you," he announced, handing the 3-foot-square box to a surprised Lindsey.

She took it and realized that it was heavy for its size, so she gently placed it on the floor in front of her. Slim handed her an open pocket knife, business-end facing him, and she took it, smiling, and sliced through the tape that covered every possible separation of box and lid. She opened the op and found-

"You got me a box of packing peanuts and a red ribbon?" she laughed, lifting the end of the ribbon from the top of the mass of packing peanuts, and Will smiled and motioned for her to dig.

She moved the peanuts to the side and followed the ribbon to the center of the box, where she found a glass. She pulled, and the wine glass revealed itself.

"Do you remember your first night at my place?" Will smiled. "It didn't end well, but I remember how you liked the wine, and I remember your lipstick," he pointed at the glass, and Lindsey was shocked to see her own lip print. "I couldn't wash it, Lindsey; I was afraid I would lose you if I did," he continued, watching her try not to tear up as she realized that he had, indeed, saved her wine glass, complete with her lipstick imprint, for all these months.

She realized, however, that the ribbon did not end at the glass but was tied in a bow. The end of the bow burrowed itself in more peanuts.

She continued to pull, and Will continued to smile. He looked up and caught Anne's eye.

He winked, and Anne put her hand over her mouth, hiding her huge smile from Lindsey.

'That evil, evil man,' she giggled inside. 'He deserves just what he's going to get when she finds it.'

Lindsey kept pulling, and pulling, and pulling…the ribbon seemed to go on forever, wrapping around the edges of the box, until she pulled once and the end of the ribbon emerged from the packing peanuts…

…securely taped to a small plastic bag…

…and said bag contained a ring.

--

Lindsey screamed.

Will grabbed the bag and removed the ring before Lindsey could wave the ribbon around in the air, any more. He then deftly removed the ring from the bag and knelt in front of a still-screaming Lindsey.

"Lins," he started, and Lindsey smiled, "I had this great speech all planned out: how you had literally pulled me from the levels of Faustian Hell in which I had buried myself. I wanted to tell you how your strength grabbed me and pulled my cranium from my rectum so I could see out," he smiled, and Joss and Kim both laughed. "I wanted to tell you how, until you, I was convinced that no one would ever love me.

"You taught me that none of that mattered, Lindsey, because I didn't love or respect myself.

"I was still convinced that I was always right, even when someone," he glanced over at Kim and smiled, and Kim smiled and winked back, "tried to convince me otherwise.

"Then, you came in that tube, and I fell in love with your eyes, your lips, your smile, and I wanted to learn as much about you as I could.

"What I didn't know was what you were going to teach me about me, Miss Peterson," he smiled and took her hand, kissing it.

"You taking notes, Aggie?" Joss stage-whispered, and Anne and James both gave her a glare followed by a smile.

'If you only knew,' Wade thought and squeezed her hand.

"You taught me the most important thing: height doesn't matter in affairs of the heart," he winked, and Lindsey choked back a laugh.

"You showed me life, love, and, most importantly, that I had to forgive myself before I could be forgiven by others. Only then could I move forward.

"Well, that's happened, and I have only one question, Miss Peterson," he slid the diamond-and-emerald engagement ring onto her finger, and Lindsey realized that it fit perfectly.

'That crazy man got my ring size, somehow,' she thought.

"Will you do me the honor of letting me spend the rest of my live with you, together forever? Lindsey Peterson," he looked up into her eyes, filled with tears and joy, and spoke the magic words:

"Will you marry me?"

She pulled him to his feet, placed her hands on his face, and captured her prize: his lips.

--

After the applause, the 'lip-smackin' goodness' (according to Joss), and the congratulations were passed all around, the entire group found themselves in the 7:30 quadrant, sitting on chairs and loveseats pulled from here and there.

"Wade," Joss smiled, and Wade stared at her for a moment, then looked at Will and Lindsey, then back at Joss.

"Don't even go there, Jocelyn," he said sweetly with venom in his voice.

Rachel laughed. "They are similar, all three of them," she smiled, and Wade looked at his mother in total confusion.

"Three?" he asked, and she nodded.

"You, Ron, and Will," she explained, and Ron, Wade, and Will all began to object. Kim looked at Lindsey, then and Joss, and all three ladies burst into laughter.

"Cuz, you told me about how you and Ron met in Pre-K," Joss started.

"And, Joss, you told me about Wade and Stephanie," Lindsey added with a smirk in her voice. "Still going after older women, huh, Wade," she asked innocently, and Wade was strangely silent as he tried to burrow into the love seat.

"And, now, we have Will and Keri," Kim concluded. "Ladies, how does it feel to be raising your boyz-2-men?" Kim laughed.

"It's never over," Anne replied dryly, and James laughed harder than anyone else.

"And, you forgot something, Lindsey," Will grinned as he placed his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.

"And, what would that be, Du-man?" she replied sweetly, fluttering here eyelashes at him.

"You never gave ma a verbal answer to my proposal of marriage," Will replied, straight-faced, and Joss and Kim joined Betty, Jackie, and Anne in their laughter.

"Well?" Will continued.

"Yes, you fool, I'll marry you," she laughed.

"That's all I wanted to hear," Will replied and kissed his fiancé.

"I don't know about you, Cuz," Joss concluded, "but, even with Du-man, the Naco-meister, and Aggie that much alike, ah'm keeping my dark chocolate," she smiled, and Wade kissed his future fiancé.

"So am I," Jackie laughed. "My hubby is a smokin' chocolate hunk, too, Joss: you should meet him and my son one day."

"And, who knows, Joss: one day I might get to see my daughter again," C. P. laughed, but there was a sound in that laugh that made Jackie get up, walk over to C. P, pull him to his feet, and give him a hug.

"Doc, how to you do that?" Wade asked when Jackie released him.

"Clean living," C. P. replied dryly, and the laughter threatened to shake the Bunker.

Will looked at Lindsey, but all he could see was a vision in a white wedding dress, a veil barely covering her face. "Oh, yeah, Will, you've def got it bad,' he laughed inside.

'It's about time, too, William,' he heard Keri's voice in his mind, her laughter still bringing him joy.

'Yeah, brother,' Willa added, and Will smiled inside even bigger. 'What took you so long?'

'Finding my soul-mate after you, Keri, took forever, but she is it,' he replied, and the warmth that he felt from both Keri and Willa brought something to him that he was beginning to embrace and enjoy even more, now that he had found Lindsey:

There was now a resident smile on the face of William Du.

--

Story now completed.

--

07/04/2009

Thanks to ja, kt and Star-Eva01 for wonderful rapid-fire beta work. ja's ideas brought life to the story in so very many ways (particularly in the crucial confrontation scene), and Star and kt did their usual magic in betawork.

The flight safety video is real: Air New Zealand has created this video and is airing it currently on flights. I can't make this up: truth is so much better than fiction....

Friendships we'd all like to have, possess, and nurture forever that stand the test of time, and are unconditional: that describes both Lindsey and Will, and it describes my feelings for my wonderful betas.

--

The chapter outline for the story of one Global Justice Supervising Agent Will Du, and Navy Commander Lindsey Peterson: someone who thinks he's special, in a weird sort of way.

Chapter 1: **Find seed**

Chapter 2: **Prepare soil**

Chapter 3: **Plant seed**

Chapter 4: **Water plant**

Chapter 5: **Nurture plant**

Chapter 6: **Weed plant**

Chapter 7: **Prune plant**

Chapter 8: **Harvest plant**

Chapter 9: **Enjoy fruits of labor**

From your friendly neighborhood 'nebster.

--

For Commander Argus...Calm seas, and prosperous voyages, my friend. May you dance with the angels, sir.

For readers who honor me by naming Joss Possible Best Minor Character from my JadeKimVerse: thank you, and I hope to live up to your honors.

Congratulations to the other winners, as well:

Repeat winners (from previous years) JAKT, MrDrP and Slyrr; and

First-time winners MaceEcam, Neo the Saiyan angel, NoobFish, Ran Hakubi, Star-Eva01, and whitem.

And, for someone special: you know how I feel about you. Congratulations on your new oportunity, and I know that the E-Ring will never be the same….

--


End file.
